Silver Haired Savior
by Riku's-Kitsune-Mate
Summary: Sora, a homeless orphan. Riku, a rich artist. What happens when Riku starts to care for him, and starts developing feelings for him? And later, when Sora's dark past comes back to haunt him? Will the two have a happy ending?[SoraRiku, yaoi, COMPLETE]
1. Rescues and Blood

**Silver Haired Savior **

**Rescues and Blood **

**By Plue Princess of the AnimePrincesses**

**Date started:** 6/13/05  
**Date finished:** 6/16/05

**Author's Ranting:  
**So, here is my first yaoi fanfic! Tell me what you think, because I want to know if you guys like it or not. I don't think I'm very good at writing, but if you guys like it, more power to ya! So review, because I really need a self esteem boost! This fic will have a happy ending, just so you know, but it will be awhile before it gets there. By the way, Leon is a little O.O.C. in this chapter, but he turns out to be a good guy in the end.

**Disclaimer:  
**Do you even have to ask? Of course I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Or Goldfish. I'm not that smart. But I do own the plot. Meh-heh.

* * *

Sora stuck his head up out of the dumpster he had been hiding in for over an hour, smelling strongly of ground coffee and chocolate. Of course, that was just Sora's luck. They were after him, and that was the closest place to hide in. A dumpster. Not seeing anyone, he quietly climbed out of the dumpster and pulled his old ripped coat tighter around his frail and thin body, and slung his little rucksack over his shoulder.

He looked around, warily, trying to find any bit of danger he could. He figured that they had either just given up, or decided to look somewhere else. Carefully, he walked out of the small alley, looking for any sign of Yuffie. Yuffie was the closest thing he had to a family, since his father had died two years ago. His mother had passed away five years earlier.

* * *

_An hour and a half earlier:_

_Sora was starving as he saw the family in the park enjoying a picnic. 'Damn rich families,' he thought as he stared longingly at the sandwich the boy held in his hand. They had already eaten more food than was possibly needed, and they were still going. Feeling his stomach growl, he carefully walked up to the people, a hungry look in his eyes. _

"_Get away from me, you bum!" the boy had yelled, even though Sora hadn't even said two words to him. Sora looked down at his ratty, tattered jeans, his worn, ripped shirt, and finally his ripped and old coat. Even though Sora had tried to keep clean by washing in the creek late at night, it wasn't enough to keep himself from the looking like a hobo. Moving on, Sora started to walk away. But he tripped on a misplaced rock and came tumbling down on top of the blond boy. "Rape!" the boy had cried, looking for any excuse to get the boy in trouble._

_Terrified, Sora scrambled up and ran, as two nearby police officers started chasing him. Sora zipped inside the closest alley he could find, jumping into the dumpster, not even daring to move inside the cramped space for fear of being found.

* * *

_

Sora had been living like this for almost a year and a half, always running like he was a criminal, when in reality, he was just a lost, confused, and poor boy without a home. In the beginning, he had tried to get a job so he could send money to his only remaining relative, his year younger sister, Kairi.

She had a home to go to, because she had been fortunate enough to be adopted by a foster home. They had refused to accept him, saying that he would only bring trouble. Sora had been willed instead to another family by his parents. But his stepfather, a cruel man named Ansem, had been an abusive man, taking advantage of poor Sora, especially when he was drunk, which he was most of the time. He might have been a good man once, but Sora didn't believe it. All he was glad for was that Kairi hadn't been left to him too, because his parents will hadn't been changed in time, leaving Sora with this evil man all by himself.

So, Sora had run away, fearing that if he went with a social security worker, he would be stuck in another home like that one, miserable all the time. Not that he wasn't miserable now, but at least he was free. With Ansem he was never free, always working and never getting any respect for it.

He could still feel the cuts that he had gotten, even though they were long healed and had left scars all over his body, when refusing to have sex with Ansem after he had gotten especially drunk one night. So he had fled that night, turning to the freedom that the outside life had to give, even though it was a harsh unforgiving world. He hadn't thought of the consequences then; he would have done anything to get away from his foster home. But given the choice now, he would have still chosen life in the streets. Anything was better than having his body groped and molested by the very essence of evil, who was always trying to get into his pants. But despite every thing that had happened, he had managed to keep his virginity; that at least was his and he wouldn't ever give it up unless it was to his consent.

Finally free of his old home in Hallow Bastion, he had fled here to the Destiny Islands, where he could start a new life. At his old home, every where he went held reminders of his past. He saw the old café where Sora had been allowed to try coffee for the first time. His old school where he had once been the best student, had even skipped a couple of grades, and was the most popular kid in the school, until they had found out that he was poor. After that, nobody had talked to him, or even made eye contact with him, until that one fateful day where they had to kick him out because a certain stepfather had stopped paying tuition, saying that it was a waste of money.

Sora arrived in the Islands, hoping to make a fresh start. He was a 14 year old boy, out on his own, trying to make a living. At least nobody knew him there. He had tried to get a job, but because of the way he was dressed, nobody would take him. So Sora drifted, wandering from one job application to another, trying to find work so that he could feed himself. By now, Sora was mostly skin and bones, only surviving on scraps he had found in trash cans.

But that wasn't enough he soon found, as he was slowly starting to starve. But Yuffie found him one day, scrounging around for food in an alley. She saved him. She took pity on the young boy, with his spiky auburn hair and angelic blue eyes. He didn't look like the kind that should have been out on the streets, but sure enough, here he was.

After that day, Yuffie took him under her wing, teaching him all her tricks to living out in the streets. He didn't trust anyone, except her. He knew she would never do anything to hurt him. She was the world's greatest thief, stealthy and silent at her job, and he was her assistant, helping her with whatever she needed.

This week was different, though. She had to do something urgent, but she said that it was way too dangerous for him to come. She had been missing for a while, and it was dangerous for the assistant of the Great Yuffie. He had gotten into a few fights this week already, and he was exhausted. If she didn't come home soon, he didn't know if he was going to survive. So he wandered to the park, and that was why he now smelled of ground coffee and chocolate.

Sora wandered out onto the sidewalk, and started walking to who knows where. He eventually ended up on a grassy outlook over the city. Noticing that it was almost night time, he found the creek and washed himself off a little, but nothing was going to get rid of the smell of coffee and chocolate that seemed to have become permanently stuck in his hair. Stepping out of the cold creek, he put on his clothes and walked over to the top of the outlook.

Figuring that this place was as good as any other, he stepped into the bushes and slung his knapsack down. He lay down, and using the sack as a pillow, fell asleep, unknowing of a certain silver – haired boy who liked to come here around midnight when he was restless…

* * *

Riku lay awake, staring at the ceiling of his penthouse apartment as the night turned dark, and the stars were coming out. Just by looking at him, you wouldn't know that he was one of the richest people on the island. He was dressed for comfort by wearing only a pair of torn jeans and some boxers. Normally he would be wearing a shirt, but it was just too hot inside the little apartment to wear one.

Being extremely rich, one would think that he would be able to afford a bigger place than just a penthouse apartment. And in truth, he could. But he didn't want to, because he didn't want to live in a huge mansion all by himself. He liked the coziness that a small place had to offer, making it feel like home, not some huge place where he happened to sleep and take showers in.

Living by himself, he was a single 16 year old boy. His parents had died in a car crash last year, but they had willed all of their money to their only son, Riku. Riku had always had a real talent for drawing, and that was how he made a living. Apparently, people paid a lot of money for one of his drawings, so he never had a problem about his money running out. With each sale he made, he grew richer, making him one of the top richest people on the island.

But by being single, that also meant that women were always throwing themselves at him, trying to get him to notice. But the truth was, he wasn't interested in any of them. Not that he would ever let them know, but Riku was gay. He wasn't like obsessive about being gayor anything, because he really wasn't. He just was never the kind of guy who liked girls.

He was restless as thoughts such as this went through his head. With a grunt of frustration, he jumped off of his bed, grabbed his sketch book and pencil, and headed towards the door. Remembering that he didn't have a shirt on, he pulled a light blue t-shirt on and headed for the elevator. In this town, leaving without a shirt was practically a death wish if a crazed fan girl happened to find him.

Reaching the bottom floor, he left the building and jumped into his black mustang. He drove around for awhile, finally parking in a lot right below an outlook. It was here that Riku usually found inspiration, by looking at the lit up island at night, where people lived their lives. But little did he know that tonight, he would find more than inspiration on top of the hill …

* * *

Sora woke to the sound of a sigh and rustling on the other side of the bushes. He was hidden from view from the thick underbrush, but he didn't dare open his eyes, reverting back to childhood thoughts that if he couldn't see it, it would disappear. But, of course, it didn't and he eventually heard the sound of pencil scrawling on paper.

'Haven't heard that sound in awhile,' Sora thought bitterly, as he remembered his old school days. He stayed hidden; silently hoping that whoever was there would disappear soon. But curiosity soon over took him, and he slowly cracked an eye open, and then another. He cautiously poked his head out of the bushes cautiously, being careful not to show his head.

He looked at the strange boy, who was currently drawing in a little sketchbook. He had silver hair and he was wearing a pair of torn up jeans and a light blue shirt. It seemed to go nicely with his hair. He didn't look rich, but something in Sora's gut told him that he shouldn't move. Ever since he had started living with Ansem, he had developed a sixth sense to danger, and right now, it was telling him that he should stay right where he was. Sora might put on a strong face on the outside, but if you really knew him, you would know that on the inside he was just a scared and alone 14 year old boy.

Sora just lay there for awhile, gazing at the back of the other boy's head. He didn't know why, but after a long time, he felt kind of safe. Not safe enough to come out of course, but safe enough to relax a little bit. Sora still didn't trust anybody, not since he had been taken advantage of by his stepfather.

* * *

After a long silence, Riku finally set down his pencil, and examined the drawing that he had made. It was the island at night, with an angel floating above. As far as he knew, nobody else knew about this place. It was his little secret, and nobody else knew the exact way to get there. Sure, people stumbled upon it from time to time, but afterwards, they never remembered how to get there. It was hidden from human sight, and Riku would never share this secret with anybody else. He set the sketchbook to the side, and he lay back with his head to the bushes.

A strong wind blew over, filling Riku's nose with various scents that the wind carried. He had always had a sharp nose, so he was often able to smell various things, even from far away. He smelled lilacs, roses, and water from the creek. Roses were his favorite flower and scent. It was one of his deepest secrets. But he also smelled something that wasn't supposed to be in there. He smelled coffee, chocolate; dirt, and … something else … sweat? He sat up, a bit surprised.

* * *

Sora could smell the boy's silver hair as his head lay near Sora. It smelled of shampoo, roses to be exact. 'Wish I could have shampoo,' Sora thought forlorn. 'Or maybe even soap, for that matter,' he thought as he felt layer upon layer of grime on his used-to-be soft, creamy skin. But suddenly, a strong wind blew, sending Sora's smell towards the other boy, who sat up in surprise.

He was disappointed to see the boy stand up; he hadn't smelled anything that good in a long time. But at the same time he was relieved, because he could finally get back to a comfortable sleep. Well, as comfortable as sleeping on the ground could be. He held his breath, waiting for the boy to leave. Hidden by the brush, he looked up and saw beautiful aquamarine eyes, the kind that somebody could get lost in.

Growing up, Sora had never had time for love. He was too busy to trying to survive, when his stepfather had taken him in. Wondering what the day would bring, fearing for his life every single day. So, Sora had never had time to consider if he was gay or not. He just thought of himself as straight, feeling as if he would never find anyone to love.

* * *

Riku stood up, wondering where that smell had come from. But he soon gave up, not being able to see anyone or anything that smelled like that. It was a semi sweet smell, and it was weird. It actually smelled … good. Sighing in frustration, he checked his watch and realized it was getting really late. Riku started fumbling through his pockets, searching for the keys to the car. He gathered up his sketchbook and pencil, and pulled out his keys. He started walking towards the car, but tripped over a tree root and dropped his keys in the bushes.

* * *

Sora barely stopped himself from yelping as some very sharp metal landed on his head. He bit his lip to keep from screaming as he suddenly panicked. Obviously, the boy was going to reach down and pick up the keys, and when he did, he would find Sora. Who knows what this strange boy would do to him if he found out that Sora had been watching him the whole time. He was strong and powerful, and Sora was a weak, underfed orphan who lived on the streets.

* * *

Bending down to pick up the keys, he felt around. Finally finding some metal, Riku grabbed for it. But in doing so, he also grabbed a handful of hair.

"Ow!" said the bush, as he pulled his hand away with the keys. "Alright, so you found me. What do you plan on doing to me!" demanded a voice as a small figure stood up from the bush, brushing off their clothes.

"Who are you, and why are you spying on me?" Riku demanded right back, fishing through his pocket for the little flashlight that he always kept with him.

"First of all, I wasn't spying. I was there first, and you came after. Second, it is none of your business who I am. And would you stop shining that thing in my face!" the kid said as Riku shined the light in his eyes. Riku was stunned at the sight before him, as he examined the small boy in front of him. He had ratty clothes, and smelled of … was that coffee and chocolate?

'Well, that explains where the smell came from,' Riku thought as he stood there, staring. And as he watched, the small boy turned and ran. 'What had he been doing, that got his clothes all torn up? He must have gotten into a fight,' Riku concluded as he got into his car. But something in the bushes caught his eye. Going over to it, he reached into the bushes and grabbed whatever was in the bushes. Pulling his hand up, he was surprised to see a bag in his hand.

* * *

Sora ran, long and fast, as he hurried away from the boy with the entrancing aqua eyes. Finally stopping to catch his breath, Sora ducked into an alley. "Aww, shoot!" Sora yelled as he realized that he had forgotten his sack in the bushes. Luckily, he didn't keep his two most important items in that bag. One was a pocket knife. It was a present from Yuffie. The other was a photograph of his family at the beach, a picture taken just one month before his mother died from cancer.

Thanking the gods that he hadn't lost those two items he walked to the park. He had slept there before, in the Paupu Woods on the very edge of the park. At least nobody ever went there. They all said that the woods were enchanted, and that strange luck would come to you if they went there to long. But Sora didn't believe the rumors; he just knew it was a comfy place to sleep.

Gathering up some soft leaves to sleep on, he made a pillow and went to sleep.

* * *

Riku arrived at his apartment exhausted. Who was that boy who had found his secret hideout? And more importantly, how did he get so beat up? He didn't look like he had seen a mirror for awhile, judging from his unkempt hair and dirty face. He seemed to have a black eye and fresh scratches on his face. Puzzling over the boy, he pulled his shirt off, and flung himself onto the bed. He fell asleep soon after, thinking of the boy's brown hair, adorable pout, and untrusting blue eyes that seemed to entrance him if he stared to long at him.

* * *

_Next Day:_

Sora awoke with a stiff back, cold body, and tired eyes. This was a regular for him, because he often slept on the ground or on a bench. Sitting up, he regretted staying up so late, because now he was exhausted. He tried to stand up, but immediately sat down again as he was confronted by a pounding headache. Holding his head, he gradually stood up, and leaned against a tree for support.

He slowly started walking towards the town, and he finally reached his destination. He walked into the alley behind a local convenience store, and knocked on the back door three times, loudly, and then four times softly. After waiting a moment, the door slowly opened to reveal a tall brunette wearing a pink jumper.

"Hey, Sora. What happened to you? You're all beat up! Where's Yuffie! I swear if she sat back and let some thugs beat you up, I'll -,"

"Whoa, whoa, Aerith, relax. I just got into a couple of scraps while she is out of town. It's my own fault, really. Wasn't watching where I was going," Sora said as he grinned up at the older girl. "Anyways, all I need is some aspirin. I've got a killer headache!"

"Okay, hold on," Aerith said as she walked into the back room. Coming back out, she said, "Here you go. I couldn't find anything for your cuts without anyone noticing that it's gone. Sorry!" she said, smiling. "Just don't get into anymore fights until I can get some!"

"Yeah, Aerith, I know!" Sora said, accepting the aspirin. "Bye!" Aerith closed the door and Sora walked away.

'You really do meet the most interesting people when traveling with Yuffie,' Sora thought as he came out of the alley. He headed back to the park. Finding the local water fountain, he took a big gulp of water and swallowed the pills with it. Already starting to feel better, he straightened and started walking down the streets. If Yuffie was like a big sister, then Aerith was like a mother.

Going through an alley behind a particularly rich family, he found trash can filled with food. Searching through it, he found a bag of slightly stale potato chips and a couple bags of half finished Goldfish. 'What food people waste,' Sora thought as he walked to another park close by, carrying his meal for the day.

Arriving, he sat down at a park bench and opened the bag of potato chips. Reaching in, the boy pulled out a crispy golden potato chip, and shoved it in his mouth. He chewed it slowly, savoring the salty taste that it left on his tongue. 'Ahh,' he thought. 'The first decent meal I've had in a week!' Sora found that a few crumbs of bread were not enough to eat off of for week. With Yuffie gone, he felt alone, and she usually knew where the good food was. Sora was just lucky that he stumbled upon this food, extremely pleased with himself for finding it.

He finished his potato chips, and stuffed his Goldfish into the pockets of his coat and zipped up the pockets. Walking around the town, Sora wandered towards another of the towns many parks. Here was another clump of the Paupu Woods, and carefully entered the woods, making sure no one saw. He found a shady spot underneath a tree, and laid down for a nap.

* * *

Riku was riding the bus home from school as he gazed out the window. Riku always rode the bus to and from school, even though he could drive. This was because it was a long drive, and he didn't feel like driving that, and because if he drove, he wouldn't be able to sit and draw. Riku absent mindedly was drawing in his sketchbook, while thinking about various things.

'Yes, last day of school,' he thought. 'Now I'll finally be able to just work on my drawings. But lately, I haven't been inspired at all. Maybe if I go on a trip this summer, I'll be able to think of something…'

He looked down to examine his drawing, and was surprised to find that it was the boy he had seen yesterday. 'What was up with him,' Riku thought as he gathered his things and stepped off the bus. He started walking home using the long way home so he could think. It passed by all of the parks in the town, and he enjoyed looking at all of the scenery. 'That boy … he didn't look like he had a friend in the world from the way he looked at me. I guess some people in the world just aren't as lucky as I am.'

* * *

Sora awoke from his nap feeling a little bit better, but not by much. He stood up and looked at the sky. From the position of the sun, he could tell it was about noon. That was another trick that Yuffie had taught him. Being poor, he couldn't afford a watch. He started walking towards the end of the forest, but was stopped as a big figure blocked his way. He had brown hair, a fur jacket, and leather pants, with a weird looking belt.

"Heh, heh, hi Leon," Sora said with a nervous chuckle. He stepped back as Leon started advance towards him. "How are you?"

"Cut the cheap act, Sora! Where is Yuffie!" he demanded while gripping Sora's shirt.

"I …uh…don't know what you're talking about," Sora said coolly, but inside he was a nervous wreck.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, you piece of shit! That little bitch stole my sword and used it to beat up Cloud! Now where is she!" Leon bellowed as he slammed Sora into the nearest tree.

"I don't know where she is! Honest!" Sora yelled as Leon punched him in the stomach. "Ooof! I'm telling the truth!"

"No, your not!" Leon yelled as he dropped Sora on the ground. He started kicking Sora all over, leaving bruises, cuts, and scrapes all over Sora's feeble body. But he didn't make a sound, not even a scream. When he finally stopped beating Sora up, he said, "Serves you right for helping that low life thief!" Then he left, leaving Sora curled up in a ball. He tried to stand up, but immediately fell back down again. He formed the feeble position, as his vision went dark.

* * *

Riku was almost home. He was passing the last park, when he saw a dark figure leave the woods. Riku knew him. That was Leon, the town tough guy. He would do almost anything to protect Cloud. He was alone, which was weird, because he was almost always with Cloud. Curious, he wandered over to the woods, wondering what was so important that Leon went off alone.

He walked into the woods, and walked for a bit, until he found a lump on the ground. He bent over it, and gently prodded it with a finger. He jumped back in surprise when it groaned and rolled to its other side, the one facing Riku. This "lump" was the boy that he had found last night on the outlook. From the looks of it, Leon had done quite a number on him, looking at all of the bruises and cuts that were visible. Riku picked the boy up and slung him on his back with ease. That was too easy Riku thought as he started walking to his apartment.

"Sounds like I've got an interesting time ahead of me," Riku said to himself as he reached the front door to building.

* * *

Sora awoke bleary eyed as he sat up. He felt really weird and he was aching all over. He felt comfortable warmth around him, and as he blinked, things came into focus a little. He blinked again, and he could see properly. He seemed to be in a bedroom, and the comfortable warmth that was around him was a few blankets. For the first time in a long time he was actually in a _bed_.

He heard some rustling outside, and after a little while, he smelled food. Wondering how he had gotten here, he pulled the covers off of his body. He looked down and realized that he was still in his old clothes, minus the coat, he tried to stand up, but almost immediately after he did, pain shot through his body and he collapsed on the floor.

* * *

Hearing a thump coming from the younger boy's room, he ran in and saw the boy trying to stand up from the ground. "Hey, hey! Stop that! You're only wearing yourself out. Here, let me help you," Riku said while hauling the boy into a sitting position on the bed. "Wow, Leon sure did a number on you, didn't he! So, what's your name?" Riku asked as he searched through his closet.

"Sora," was the boy's short reply as he continued rummaging around.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Sora! I'm Riku, and I'll take care of you until you can go back home," he said while he pulled out a pair of fresh jeans, clean boxers, and a clean white t-shirt. Turning around, he saw the boy's sad look, and said, "You don't have a home, do you?" The boy nodded no, and wouldn't meet Riku's eyes. "Well, that's fine. You can crash here until you can find a place to stay. It'll be nice having some one share to this place with. Here," he said, while holding out the clothes. "These are for you. Why don't we get you into a hot shower?"

"Wait! You mean a _shower_, like with water, and soap, and shampoo!"asked an ecstaticSora.

"Well, how else would you take a shower?" Riku said chuckling. He went over to the bathroom and turned on the shower. "Here, you can wash up and get dressed in here, and then come put into the kitchen. By then dinner should be ready."

"Okay!" Sora said grinning. He watched the boy go into the bathroom and walked back to the kitchen.

'I think I like the kid. He's spirited,' Riku thought as he finished cooking.

* * *

Sora came out of the shower clean and smelling like roses. He was surprised to find that the other boy's shampoo was roses, but appreciated that it was there. Finally feeling clean because he had washed off the layers of dirt and grime, he got dressed and stepped outside. He smelled good food, and he was drawn to the kitchen where he met the smiling face of Riku and his aqua eyes. He directed Sora to a kitchen table, where he was serving soup.

"Hey, Sora! How are you feeling?" Riku said as he set a bowl of chicken noodle soup out in front of him.

"Loads better!" Sora said as he dove into the bowl of soup. He finished soon after he finished, and he blinked up at the other boy who was looking in amusement at the boy across from him, who had his mouth full. Sora swallowed it and said, "That was really good! Got anymore?"

Riku laughed and said sure, I've got plenty more. You must have really been starved to like my cooking."

"Best I've ever had," Sora said as he attacked another bowl.

* * *

_Six Bowls of Soup Later:_

Riku looked down at the boy who had fallen asleep on the couch watching TV. The boy had seemed fascinated by it, as if he had never seen one up close before. And by the looks of it, he probably hadn't. Riku picked him up and carried him to the room that had become his. He tucked him in and gazed at him for a minute. He was so cute, like that, with his hair all mussed. He looked like a little angel, and suddenly, Riku felt inspired.

He quietly ran into his room and grabbed his sketch book and pencil. Riku ran towards Sora's room and quietly entered the room. He sat on the chair next to Sora's bed and flipped open to a blank page. He quietly drew the sleeping brunette, and in Riku's mind at least, nothing was more perfect. He left after awhile, and went to his room, throwing off his shirt, climbed into his bed. That night, his dreams were filled with sleeping brunettes and perfect angels.

* * *

_The Next Day: _

Riku woke up the next day at a pounding on his bedroom door. He woke up and sleepily opened the door to be jumped on by the younger boy. Surprised, Riku just sat there, stunned as the younger boy wrapped his arms around the older boy's waist. Burying his head in the boy's chest, Sora started weeping, leaving Riku's chest wet. Hugging the other boy back, Riku gently held Sora, whispering that everything would be alright. After Sora had calmed down a bit, he asked, "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"I-I had a nightmare!" Sora sobbed. "He was b-back! And he tried to rape me again, Riku!"

Alert, Riku said, "Who? Who was back?"

"M-my s-stepfather! He still haunts me to this day!" Sora cried burying his face in Riku's chest once again.

"Your stepfather? What was his name?" Riku asked as he started rubbing Sora's back.

"A-Ansem," Sora said. Riku could feel Sora shudder underneath his touch as he said the name. Riku had heard the name before. That was the name of the Ruler of Hallow Bastion, and he was a cruel man. He had tried to kill his own brother just to get the throne, but failed in the end because of the ruler's son. He remembered hearing that the ruler had a son with brown hair and a daughter with, red but …

"Sora, what's your last name?"

"Ummm, Malcite, I think. I don't really remember. Why?"

"Nothing," Riku said. So Sora was the prince of Hallow Bastion. He remembered reading something about how their only son had been left to his Uncle. It didn't surprise him that Sora was traumatized. Ansem was known to get drunk and do horrible things to other people. But being the ruler of the world, nobody could convict him of being a molester, rapist, and a murderer.

"I'm scared he'll come back Riku, I really am!" Sora said as he tightened his grip on the boy holding him.

"Its okay, Sora. I'm here now. I won't let anyone hurt you," Riku whispered, as he felt a desire so strong that he wanted to hold Sora forever. But unfortunately, immediately after that thought, Sora untangled himself from Riku's arms and went back to his room.

But right before he left, he wiped his eyes, smiled, and said, "Thanks, Riku. You're the best."

"Ummm, no problem. See you at breakfast," Riku said as he stood up and went over to the computer and brought up a news article that he had read a couple of days before he found Sora.

"Today, Ansem shocked reporters as he announced his trip to the Destiny Islands today, scheduled for next week. He has been searching frantically all over since the kidnapping of his only nephew and the crown prince, Sora Malcite, stolen from his peaceful slumber one and a half years ago. Ansem has been searching for him in many worlds, the Destiny Islands being the last," Riku read.

"So, he's been searching for Sora, has he," Riku said. "I'll never let him hurt my Sora that way. If he tries, he'll die first."

* * *

_Later that Day:_

Sora woke to the smell of cooking. Eggs, bacon, and sausage. First time he's had that in a while. Walking out of the room, he went over to the table and sat down with a yawn. He looked over at the boy wearing a green shirt and a pair of blue cargo pants, standing in front of a stove with a skillet filled with good food.

He watched Riku lay a big plate out in front of him, and he said, "Hey, Riku?"

"Hmm?" said Riku as he sat down across from the brunette.

"Why are you doing all this for me? I mean not that I don't appreciate it, I really do. But it's just that nobody who actually has a home has ever cared about me, or if I survive. Well, maybe Aerith. But why are you so different? I've seen plenty of people who've tried to get me killed or at least arrested just because I'm homeless," said Sora, not looking at Riku.

"Well, I don't know," Riku said. "I guess I was just brought up learning to give everybody a chance. People shouldn't judge others just because they are homeless. Everybody is different, and everybody has different problems. People should judge others by how they act and how they treat others. Take you for instance. You look like an angel, but your homeless, so everybody avoided you. But if any of them had taken the time to get to know you, they would've grown to you like. I know I have, and I've only known you for a day. Look at Yuffie. She looks tough on the outside, but on the inside she is a real sweetheart, even though she does have a small problem of taking other people's things without asking."

"Wait a sec! You know Yuffie!" Sora asked in surprise.

"Sure do! We go way back. We used to go to school together until she decided that she didn't like it. She always was a stubborn one."

"Do you know where she is? I haven't seen her all week!"

"Ummm, I talked to her while you were sleeping. She asked me not to tell you. All she wanted me to say was that she is fine, and that as soon as she gets her hands on Leon, he's dead," Riku said with a slight chuckle. "She's really fond of you, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Sora said back.

"So eat up," Riku said with a smile.

"Okay!" Sora said with a big grin as he started eating what was on his plate.

* * *

_The Next Day:_

Riku was in a hurry the next night as he rushed to get all of the drawings he needed for the art show. "How could I have forgotten my own art show!" Riku yelled at himself. He actually wouldn't have even shown up if the guy from the complex hadn't called him. "Sora, are you sure that you'll be fine here by yourself for a couple of hours?"

"I'll be fine, Riku. Have you already forgotten that I used to live by myself before you rescued me," Sora said as he gave Riku a hug. "I'll see you later!"

"Okay, bye, Sora," Riku said as he hugged the boy. Sora had started giving him hugs after their breakfast discussion the day earlier. Not that he minded; he had grown to like it when Sora hugged him. "Be good," he said as he closed the door and locked it.

Riku threw the drawings in the back of the car and sped down to the arts complex. Luckily it was only a 5 minute drive. He arrived and gathered his sketches, then entered the building. He quickly set up his display, and finished just in time as the art auction started. He started explaining what his drawings were called and where he found the inspiration for them. He could already see that he was going to make a lot of money; some people were already in the thousands for a couple, and still rising.

'So far, so good,' Riku thought as the price war raged on.

Kind of spacing out, Riku jumped when a man with white hair came up to Riku and started asking about the sketch he had done of Sora when he was sleeping.

"Oh, that's a picture of a friend of mine," Riku said.

"How much for it?" the man asked

"Oh, that sketch isn't for sale," Riku replied.

"I really must have it," the man insisted.

'Fine if he wants it so badly, I'll give him a price that no one around here can afford,' Riku thought. "It's 2.5 million," Riku said, meaning to throw the man off.

He looked surprised for a minute, then said, "I'll take it."

Instead, it was Riku who was thrown off. "You'll – you'll _what!"_

"You heard me, I'll take it."

"Umm, okay?" Riku said as the man pulled out 2.5 million dollars. Riku accepted it, and the man took the sketch with him. "That guy was weird," Riku thought as he checked his watch. It was 10:15. The auction had only started 15 minutes ago, and he already had 2.5 million dollars.

* * *

Sora had fallen asleep on the couch watching Inuyasha on Cartoon Network. Then he heard a banging on the door, and he slowly got up. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 11:00.

'Who's here at this hour,' Sora thought as he went over to the speaker, not realizing that he still had the remote in his hand. "Who is it?" Sora said into the speaker.

"Package for Riku Renvulle," came the reply.

Sleepiness impairing his judgment, instead of making him wonder why someone would be delivering a package NOW, instead of waiting for the next mail day, Sora opened the door. As he opened the door and looked at who was standing at the door with a small box in his hand, he whispered, "No, not you!" Sora tried to slam the door, but by then the man had put his foot between the door and frame. Sora dropped the remote and tried to push the door shut all the way, but the man would have none of that. He blew the door open, the force slamming Sora into the wall across from the door. "No, no, no. Not you! It can't be you!" Sora whimpered as the man advanced towards him.

"Oh it's me, alright. Your stepfather's loyal servant, Sephiroth," the man said as he pulled out a whip, filling Sora's eyes with fear. "And your kind stepfather has ordered me to bring you home."

"But, how did you find me here," Sora whined, trying to get as small as he could.

"Oh, you can thank your kind friend who lives here. Thanks to him, I found you," Sephiroth mocked, an evil smirk on his face.

"No! You liar! Riku would never hurt me!" Sora screamed as he kicked the box that the man held in his hand. A mouth gag, rope, and knife came tumbling out, and rolled behind the door. Sprinting as fast as he could out the apartment through the wide open door, he ran down the stairs, Sephiroth right on his tail, with the whip in his hand. But he had practice running for his life, and he soon out ran the man. He had almost reached the last flight, when he tripped and went tumbling head over heels down the last set.

He scrambled up and went running out the front door. Apparently, it had started raining while Sora was sleeping. He ran down the street, heading towards the arts complex, but Sephiroth soon teleported in front of him. Turning direction, Sora sprinted towards yet another section of the woods. Climbing into the trees, he stared down at the woods floor as he saw Sephiroth teleport there. Wordlessly, Sephiroth raised his whip and it ensnared Sora's foot, and yanking, Sephiroth pulled Sora from the tree. Looking down at the terrified boy, he said, "Now, we can make this easy, or we can make this hard. Which do you choose?"

Sora continued to struggle against the whip that was holding him down, trying to get away. "Leave me alone!" he yelled, while reaching his hand into his pocket. He pulled out a shuriken, and flung it at him, hitting him in the face. He didn't even flinch, just said, "I guess it's the hard way, then," Sephiroth said, releasing Sora's foot and bringing it back down on Sora's soft flesh, leaving a deep welt on Sora's tender chest.

Jumping up, despite the wound,he grabbed another shuriken and flung it at Sephiroth. But instead of hitting him, he hit it back with the whip, flinging it in to Sora's leg. The wound was so deep that Sora's knees buckled, and he collapsed on the ground with a moan. Sephiroth approached him, and immediately stepped back, as Sora slashed him with his pocket knife.

"Impudent little brat!" Sephiroth roared as he dragged the whip over his skin a couple more times, leaving marks all over his skin and ripping his clothes. He had blood pouring down him, but he still wouldn't give up. Every time he came near, Sora slashed at him. "Fine, if you won't come quietly now, I'll have to get your stepfather to come, and if you thought I was bad, just wait till you get a taste of his wrath. He is still very angry that you ran away without as much as a goodbye note. I'll be seeing you soon enough. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Sephiroth teleported away, and Sora passed out from the blood loss caused by his cuts.

* * *

Riku hurried home, after the art show, determined to get home to Sora. By the end of the show, he had made 3 million, more than he ever had before. Reaching the apartment building, he worked his way up to the penthouse, and was shocked to see the door wide open.

'I thought I locked it,' Riku thought as he entered the building, shutting the door behind him. "Sora?" he called, wondering why his friend had left the door open. "Sora, where are you?" Riku called again. Looking around, he noticed a splotch of blood on the wall straight across from the wall. He walked towards it, and his foot bumped into a small black object on the ground. He picked it up and realized that it was the remote.

Now Riku was scared. 'What happened to Sora?' Riku thought as he frantically searched the apartment. He couldn't smell his scent any where in the house, as he searched using his nose as a guide. 'He must have gone outside or something,' Riku said as he grabbed his coat and ran towards the door. But just as he reached for the handle, he noticed the knife, mouth gag, and rope.

Panicking that somebody had killed Sora, he dashed outside into the pouring rain. He used his nose to sniff out where Sora was. It was always easy for Riku to find him like this. Sora smelled like he was light, the scent of pureness and innocence. It was very faint, but he could smell a little bit of his scent from the woods. He ran as fast as he could over to it, and yelped at the sight of Sora lying motionless on the ground, his clothes all ripped, his skin cut, and blood pouring all over his body. He kneeled beside his friend and felt his wrist for a pulse. It was there, but it was very slow.

He heaved Sora onto his back and darted back to the apartment. He quickly ran to the closest bedroom which happened to be his own room, and he left to gather supplies. He returned with buckets of hot and cold water, rags, cloths, soaps, bandages, and disinfectant, which he put on the bedside table next to him as he climbed onto the bed next to Sora.

Tearing off what was left of the shirt, Riku grabbed a rag and dunked it in the hot water. He gently took the rag and started washing the blood off of the younger boy's creamy white skinned torso. There was a lot of it, and it took awhile for him to get it all off. Next, pulled off the boy's pants because a lot of blood seemed to be coming from his leg. He soon saw why as he found the shuriken buried inside his leg. Tenderly pulling it out, he cleaned the wound with soap and water, sprayed it with disinfectant, and carefully bandaged it up.

Next he carefully bandaged all of the cuts on Sora's torso and then took off his own shirt that was already soaked with sweat. "Come on Sora, don't die," Riku sobbed as he finished working and put all of the things away. He lay down next to Sora and just watched him as the night went on. "Sora, you can't die. I don't know what I'd do. You're the first person to ever accept me for who I was right away, not because I was rich or good looking. I think I – I might even lo …," Riku whispered as he fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Sora woke up aching everywhere on his body. It seemed to hurt the most on his chest and leg, but he couldn't figure out why. Then all of the memories of last night came flooding back to him, and he shivered underneath his blankets as he concluded what had happened.

Ansem had returned, and he was after Sora. And if that happened, he knew that Riku would try to protect him, and if he tried, Riku would get hurt. Sora wouldn't be able to let Riku do that, not for a homeless, worthless orphan who was just a burden to everyone who tried to be his friend. So he quietly wiggled out of the bed with Riku in it, careful not to wake the exhausted boy.

He gathered his things, then limped to the door and left, leaving a quickly scrawled note on the door. And in silence became a wanderer once more, heading to the place where he could become stronger and put an end to Ansem, once and for all.

* * *

**Author's Ranting:  
**Okies! So, what did you think? Did you like it? I'm feeling better now, so I think I will continue this story, especially if I get some reviews ... (hint, hint - wink, wink) Started out as a one-shot, but some people told me to end the chapter there and keep going on with the story, so I did. Tell me if you get any ideas or something. Remember, it will have a happy ending that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside! In the next chapter: Yuffie to the rescue, Sora meets the Ninja Knight! (guess who), Sora kicks butt, depressed Riku, and finally, kissing (between wouldn't you like to know! ) By the way,a shuriken is one of those star-like thingies that ninjas use, for those who don't know. Being with Yuffie, he obviously learned how to use one. Tell me if you want me to post my Kingdom Hearts Poetry Collection, because I have a lot done alrerady. So, review, otherwise I'll cry! No flamez! Huggles to everybody (extra ones to those who review), and watch next week for the next chapie! I try to update every week or so. This is Plue Princess, over and out! JaNe! 


	2. Training

**Silver Haired Savior**

**Training**

**Date Started:** 6/18/05

**Date Finished:** 6/21/05

**Riku:** Say it!

**Riku's-Kitsune-Mate:** (sinking in quicksand) Do I have to?

**Riku:** Yes! Otherwise I won't throw you the rope!

**Riku's-Kitsune-Mate:** Oh fine! I don't own Kingdom Hearts! Happy?

**Riku:** Yes. (starts walking away, an evil smirk on his face)

**Riku's-Kitsune-Mate:** Hey you're not just gonna leave me here, are you? (Riku still ignores her) Why you lousy piece of – (sinks under quicksand, not to be heard again until …)

**Sora:** Are you okay? Hello? (prods an unconscious girl with a stick)

**Riku's-Kitsune-Mate:** (wakes up) I don't own Kingdom Hearts! I don't own Kingdom Hearts! (gets up, starts bouncing around and starts yelling random things) Peanut Butter! Noodle! Mr. Chisely! (You wouldn't get that one unless you went to my school)

**Sora:** (smacks her on the head, knocking her out) Well, while we wait for her to wake up, read this chapter that she wrote!

**Author's Ranting:  
**Wow! I didn't expect so much feedback for just one chapter. I got so many reviews and it made me feel so special. So all of the following people get Riku plushies and the chapter dedicated to them because they left reviews: Rampaging Sorrow, Sunshine Pie, AnimeDutchess, sweetthangpaige, MoonMagician, DieChan, Sai-ryo Aura Feana, Muffy, and Darkwitch17. So, as I promised, I will continue for awhile. I have some ideas to keep this story going, but if you have any ideas, please share them with me! If you didn't notice, I changed my penname! So, get ready to read, ready … set … go!

**Heavy T rating on this chapter! You have been warned!**

* * *

_The Afternoon after Sora left:_

Sora had traveled for awhile, finally arriving at what seemed to be an alley. But to Sora's trained eye, it was much more. He walked over to a sewer entrance and pried it open using a crowbar hidden behind a dumpster. He jumped inside, and used a flashlight to see. Yup, here it was, the hidden tunnel used by both ninjas and thieves alike, to go to the hidden training grounds of the Ninja Knight. He remembered Yuffie telling him about this place, about how many traveled this way to only come to a dead end.

_"But," he recalled Yuffie saying, "The real trick is how you look at it. To the simple minded, this place seems like a dead end. But you must look at it from a ninja's point of view. Ninja/thief rule number one: There is never a dead end to a master. Look around at your surroundings, try to find an alternate route."_

Sora walked in silence for awhile, reminiscing about the good old days, when he was with Yuffie. He was never hunted then, because she always protected him, with grace of a cat. He always wondered how she got so good, and one day, she told him a story of a Ninja Knight, that lived far up in the mountains, away from the distractions of the city life. He would teach anyone with a pure heart, granted that you could reach him in the mountains.

Sora finally found the end of the tunnel, and he saw no exit. So, he did the only logical thing that he could do. He looked down, and saw no doors. Then he looked up, and there was another sewer entrance. He pushed it open, revealing fresh air and the outside. He climbed out, and resealed the exit, carefully watching it blend into the earth. He stood up, and realized that he seemed to be in an enclosure, made entirely of stone.

Slowly turning around, he saw a giant mountain. 'Well looks like I've arrived,' Sora thought as he looked around for a trail. Not finding any, he looked at the steepness of the mountain, and concluded that he couldn't climb it just by walking.

_"Okay, Sora, rules number two and three! If it looks too difficult, find a shortcut! Also, always use your surroundings! Master these two steps and you'll be great Ninja Knight in no time!"_

'Alright, I just have to find a shortcut,' Sora concluded, looking around. He found a steep wall, and he walked over to it. "Look for a way to use your surroundings. He turned around and found a rope, but that's no good. He continued searching, and he eventually came upon a hook. 'It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together,' thought Sora as he picked up the hook. He went back and got the rope. He took the rope and tied the hook onto it, then went back to the steep wall.

He swung the hook above his head, and threw at it at the wall. It caught on, and he pulled on it a couple of times to make sure that it would hold his weight, he slowly started climbing it, careful about his wounds, and he looked around. By now he was half way, then suddenly he felt the rope starting to creak, and he could tell that it wouldn't hold his weight much longer. Sora looked over at the wall and saw some hand and foot holds that could be used to lift him up the cliff. Sticking out a hand, he reached for the path way up the cliff, but was distraught to find that he couldn't reach. He felt the rope, creak again, a made a fast decision.

Sora wrapped the rope around his legs tightly and gently started to swing the rope back and forth, trying to gain speed. He started gaining speed and soon reached a point that he could just barely reach the first hand hold. But the rope was about to snap, so in one mighty leap, he jumped to the first hand hold, barely reaching it, as he slammed into the wall.

Holding on with all his strength, he turned his head and watched the hook and rope tumble to the ground and land in a big heap. He gulped, and slowly started his ascent up the cliff.

* * *

Riku awoke around noon, much later than he usually does, still exhausted from the night before. He lay in bed, with his eyes shut, but to him, it felt like something was missing. He felt around in the bed next to him, and he realized that there was a scent missing from the apartment. He sat up, and looked in his bed. Sora wasn't next to him, and Riku started to panic. He jumped out of bed, and put on a shirt, then ran frantically through the apartment, looking for Sora. He was about to leave the apartment when he saw the note on the door. Pulling it down, he read what was written, and turned a pale color underneath his tan. 

**Dear Riku,**

**By the time you get this note, I will already be gone. Don't worry about me, although that is a silly thing to say, seeing as how you are probably a nervous wreck already. Don't try to find me, I've chosen a path too hard and dangerous for you to follow. I do not know if I will make it back alive, or even if I will make it back at all. It would do better if you try to forget me; I am only a burden to you. I thank you very much for all that you have done for me, I will never forget you, but I realize that my destiny is to defeat Ansem on my own, or not at all. If I stay, you will get hurt, and if that happened, I would never be able to forgive myself that you risked your life for a worthless, homeless orphan. Goodbye, Riku. I will never forget you or the kindness that you have shown me. And even if my mind forgets, my heart never will. **

**Yours Truly, **

**Sora**

Riku read and reread the letter, and fell down on the ground in a sobbing heap. "No, Sora. I didn't want you to leave," Riku cried. "Why did you leave, why? You weren't just a worthless, homeless orphan to me. You were my muse, my other half. Why did you leave?" Riku whimpered. He crawled to the couch, because it still had Sora's scent, and that was good enough for him.

* * *

Sora had finally reached the top of the cliff, and had lain down to catch his breath. He had just barely caught his breath, when he saw a shuriken land mere inches from his face. He immediately jumped up, and started running, when two more shuriken landed right where he used to be. He found a block of wood, and used it to block the next to that came at him. Then he heard a ferocious battle cry, and he saw a giant figure coming from the top of a cliff at him. 

When it landed, he jumped out of the way as the man swung at him. He was wearing a red cloak and his left arm seemed to be limp. He had a giant sword, and a giant belt, off which hung a giant water jug. He had a black shirt with a giant collar, and to top it off, a pair of black sunglasses.

He swung at him again, and Sora barely held him off with the wooden block. He knew that if it got hit one more time, it would snap, which is exactly happened when it was struck a second time, the force sending Sora into the closest tree. And as the man advanced, Sora thought it was the end. The man raised his sword, and Sora shut his eyes, waiting for the strike that would kill him.

Except … it never came. He heard a loud clanking of metal, and a girl's voice that seemed suspiciously familiar … Sora cracked his eyes open slowly, and was surprised to see a young teenage girl with coal black hair in a ninja outfit, holding off the man in front of her. She seemed to be yelling at him, and he just gave her a look that seemed to say 'Ya, okay I'm sorry. Now get over it!'

" … And furthermore, I can't believe you tried to kill him! He's injured! What if he had been a new student! Besides, I told you he would be coming one of these days! He is a smart kid!" Yuffie yelled at the man, who looked back at her nonchalantly.

"Yeah, yeah, Yuffie, I get it. I said sorry already, now would you forget it!" he said back to the fuming girl.

'Wow,' Sora thought as he looked at Yuffie, wholooked about ready to blow a blood vessel. 'I guess I really don't want to get her mad, now do I.'

"Well, come on Sora. You're lucky that old bear didn't catch you completely off guard, otherwise you would be shreds by now!" Yuffie said as she helped Sora to his feet.

"No, kidding!" Sora said as he surveyed the man at a safe distance. "I can't believe you have the nerve to yell at him like that."

"Oh, that old grump isn't so bad once you get to know him," she said, regaining her usual carefree manner.

"Is he the training master you told me about? Even with all of the training you put me through, he still almost killed me!"

"Yup, that's him! His name is Auron. Called the Ninja Knight by those who don't know him very well."

"Wow!" Sora said in wonderment as he looked at Auron, who was coming over.

"So, you're Sora," he said in a bored voice. "Are you the one I've heard so many stories about from Yuffie?"

"Um… I guess," Sora said, a little nervous about talking to the man who almost slaughtered him mere minutes ago.

"Hmm," was all he said as he turned around and left.

"Oh, dad! You don't have to be so rude!" Yuffie yelled after him.

"Hold it. Did you just say 'dad'! He's your father!" Sora exclaimed in a shocked voice.

"Oops. Did I forget to mention that? Sorry. Well, anyways what are you doing here? I know it isn't because you are trying to get yourself killed. Living with Riku couldn't have been _that_ bad," she said with a grin.

Sora winced as hearing Riku's name stirred up emotions in his body, making him feel guilt, happiness, sadness, and another emotion that he was afraid to name. "Uh … not quite. You remember that story I told you about a couple of weeks back before you left?" Sora asked. The girl nodded in response, so he continued. "Well, somehow he's tracked me here, to the islands. So what I really need is for your father to train me on how to fight, so I can protect myself and others," Sora said, reluctant to say who the 'others' were.

"Okies!" Yuffie said as she put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Everything is going to be all right. I'll make sure that he trains you, if it's the last thing I do!"

"Okay, thanks Yuffie!" Sora said, attempting a grin.

"Well, we better go before that old bat gets too far ahead of us! Hey, dad! Wait up!" Yuffie shouted as she ran up to him, Sora in tow.

* * *

_That Night:_

Riku hadn't moved from the couch all day, he just sat there, wallowing in self-pity. He was still very upset that Sora had left, although 'very upset' might be the understatement of the year. He hadn't gotten up when the mail came, or when he had started feeling hungry. He just sat there, feeling sorry for himself. He had read and reread that letter almost a hundred times, searching for a hidden meaning, anything to tell him where his little angel had gone.

It was almost midnight when he heard a pounding on the door. He waited for it to stop, and for the person to give up, but when it didn't stop, he concluded that he would have to answer the door. Slowly getting up, he shuffled towards the door, taking his own precious time. He finally got there, and by then the banging had gotten louder. He opened the door, only to have himself smacked on the head by whoever was there.

Riku was on the ground, when he heard a familiar voice say, "Whoops, sorry Riku, didn't actually think you were going to just open the door without so much as a yell."

Riku made no effort to get up, just lay there and said in a monotonous voice, "What do you want, Leon?"

"Hey, Riku. Are you okay? I heard that you might be kind of bummed. I wanted to know if you and Sora would come over and help me finish Cloud's birthday present. I also wanted to apologize to Sora for beating him up. Take my word for it; never accept a drink from Cid when he's been experimenting. Geez, dude. What's with you?"

"No, Sora isn't here. Bye, and don't forget to shut the door on your way out," Riku said, still not making any effort to get up.

"Riku, I've never seen you _this_ depressed. In fact, I don't think I've _ever_ seen you depressed. What happened?" Leon asked with concern. Still not getting any response from Riku, he picked him up and set him on the couch. Riku didn't protest, nor did he even care. He only sat there, staring into space. Noticing the letter, Leon picked it up and read its contents. He smiled smugly and said, "I think I know what your problem is."

"Well of course that's my problem! Sora's probably off getting his sweet innocence stolen off of him by that monster, and soon he will be lying in a gutter, dead!" Riku exploded, his young body shaking with anger. "And I can't do anything about it!"

"First of all, Sora's not going to be defeated by that big old wyvern. He's too stubborn to die. If you've ever seen him in action, you would know that. Second, I know for a fact that he isn't dead. I was just talking to Yuffie, and I think I know exactly where he is."

Riku jumped at this, and clung to Leon like he was a floatie out in the middle of a hurricane. "You know where Sora is! Where is he? Is he okay? Can I visit him? Will you take me to him? Please!" Riku asked, hope and need in once distant and vacant eyes.

"Maybe. I have to find out from Cloud, first. Then I have to ask permission from Yuffie, of course, if he's where I think he is. He is her assistant and Sora is probably staying at her house."

"Yuffie's house? I know exactly where that is!" Riku said springing up.

"Umm, not that house. Her really old home, the home where she grew up."

"But why-,"

"It's Yuffie's decision, not mine. Don't ask me."

"Fine," Riku said as he flopped down on the couch. "But I'm going with you to see Cloud. If he knows where Sora is, then I want to be the first to know."

"I don't think that Cloud will appreciate that," Leon said.

"I don't care. If he knows where Sora is, I'm coming! That's that!"

Considering for a moment, Leon finally said, "Fine, but you're driving!"

* * *

Sora had finally arrived at the training grounds of the Ninja Knight. It was quite a site to behold, if you had never seen it before. It was a rather large training dojo, and there was a lot of natural scenery around it. It had a huge waterfall around back, and trees everywhere. Sora entered the large stone dojo, leaving his shoes outside, and immediately, Auron took him to a little room where a lady was sitting, bent over some papers. 

She was wearing a floor length black dress that revealed her snow white shoulders. The skirt had lots of straps around the front and it had a fur trimming around the top around her shoulders. She had long dark black hair, which she kept up in pins. She wore many necklaces, and on the desk next to her was a small doll. The doll was a tan color, with a large red nose, a red pom-pom, and to small purple wings on the back.

"Hey, Lulu. I need you to fix this kid up. He still has injuries from wherever he was before he came."

"Fine, but this had better not take long. I Yuffie and I have to go visit some friends of ours. Come on, boy," Lulu said, not looking up from her papers.

"Okay, but when you finish, bring Sora to the training room. I need to see what he can do, since Yuffie, is making me train him," Auron said as he left.

Sora stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do, when Lulu finally stood up from her desk and set her papers aside. "Alright, come on Sora. Let's get those cuts healed."

"Okay," Sora said kinda shy. They walked into a room behind the one they were in, and it was much larger. He saw various potions, but no bandages. She told him to take off his shirt and lay on a cot that was set up. After doing so, she examined the cuts all over his body. Next, she rolled up his pant legs and looked at the cuts there.

After a little while she finally whistled and said, "Some of these cuts are pretty bad. What were you doing when you got them?"

"I got into a fight," Sora said, sheepishly.

"With who?"

"Umm, his name was Sephiroth," Sora said as he remembered the gruesome details of his fight.

"Ahh, that explains a lot. I don't know many people who can cut like this with a whip. So are you ready?" Lulu said as she settled her doll on her arm.

"Oookaaaayyy …?"

"Alright. Close your eyes. You are going to feel a tingly sensation all over your body, and then a little pain where your deepest cuts are." Sora closed his eyes and when he did, Lulu called out, "Curaga!"

Sora felt funny all over, and then sharp pains on his chest and leg, like somebody was sticking a knife in his wounds. When the tingling sensation finally stopped, Sora opened his eyes and sat up. He looked at his chest and the cut was gone, but there was still a scar. The cut on his leg was also healed, but it was still a little red.

"I healed the smaller cuts and the one on your chest, but that one on your leg is going to take a little time to heal completely. Whoever fixed your cuts up before did the right thing by cleaning it so soon, because whatever gave you that could have killed you if it hadn't been bandaged. I'm surprised that you didn't die from the blood loss alone, not that I wanted you to, but well, you know," Lulu finished with a small smile.

"Yeah, I know. So, didn't the sensei want me to go to the training room next?" Sora said, looking for any excuse to change the subject from memories so close to Riku.

"Oh yes, come along, Sora," Lulu said after Sora had put his shirt back on. "But first, we have to get you the right clothes. Come here," Lulu said as she opened a closet and pulled out a white tunic and a pair of shorts. "Here, this is one of the smallest sizes we have. You're so thin; it'll be hard to find some that fit you. Here, take this to," Lulu said as she handed him a robe. "You'll be using that at night, or whenever Auron takes you night training up here in the mountains. Here you can change behind that screen, and then I'll take you to the training room."

Sora changed his clothes, and Lulu took his old ones and stored them away. Then she led him over to rather large room full of training katana, poles, targets, and mats. After she showed him the training room, Lulu left, leaving him with Auron all alone. The large man was training in hand to hand combat with a large pole that had sticks jutting out all over it. He was wearing garments very similar to the ones Sora was wearing, except much finer he had a black belt, compared to Sora's white one, and there was a symbol on the back, the insignia of his dojo.

"So, Sora, I see that you have been all healed up. So are you ready to start your training?" Auron said as he stopped training.

"Sure am," Sora said as he walked over to Auron.

"So, to know what I have to do to train you, I have to know what you can do already. Yuffie tells me that you can use the shuriken. Is that true?" Auron said in a bored tone.

"Umm, yes sensei," Sora said timidly.

"Well let's see what you can do," Auron said as he hung up one of the targets. "We'll use this one. Aim for the bull's eye. Use these," Auron said as he held out some shuriken.

"Yes sensei," Sora said as he took the offered weapon.

"Stand here. And stop calling me sensei. It makes me feel old," Auron said as he pointed to a spot just left of the target. When Sora was in place, Auron said, "Alright, now do it like you would normally do it."

Sora held the shuriken in his hand, and flung it at the target. They landed just left to the bull's eye. He flung two more, and this time they both hit dead on. The two afterwards hit exactly the same way.

"Okay, so at least you know how to use one of these. That saves a lot time. Okay, do you know how to use a katana or a sword?" Auron asked.

"Um, kind of. I know a little, but not a lot," Sora said uncomfortably, not liking the evil gleam in Auron's eyes.

"Okay, then we'll work on that next," Auron said as he took down the target and pulled out two katana. He threw one to Sora then he went over to the training mats, motioning for Sora to follow. Nervously, Sora followed, wondering how bruised he was going to be at the end of the day. "Take the high block defensive stance," he said, showing Sora the correct footing and how to hold the katana. "Now, I'm going to show you how to do a high strike."

Auron held his katana in a offensive position, then raised it high above his head and came crashing down on Sora's upraised katana, causing a loud clacking sound. The collision sent shocks through Sora's young body, making his arms vibrate slightly. Auron noticed this and said, "Looks like we're going to have to work on building up your muscles, huh?"

"Yep," Sora said, grinning slightly. They continued on like this for awhile; Auron showing him basic blocks and swings. Sora learned high, middle, low, and side blocks, and he learned high swings, middle swings, low swings and side swings. By the end, they were both sweaty and breathing heavily.

"Okay, that's enough for now, Sora. Time to take a little break and then we will learn how to do hand-to-hand combat. That should be fun, don't you think?" Auron said with a small laugh.

"Oh, yes. Grand," Sora said sarcastically.

Auron snorted at Sora's sarcasm and then went over to a cooler in the corner of the room. He took out two bottles of water, then threw one towards Sora, who caught it out of reflex. Auron opened the large bottle he held, then took a large swig out of it, then closed it back up. "If you want you can go talk to Yuffie for awhile while I set things up here."

"Okay," Sora said as he swallowed his large gulp. "Do you know where she is?"

"Try the kitchen. That's where I usually find her. If she's not there, try the other training room. That's where everybody who isn't in their private lessons practice," Auron said as he took out some equipment. "The kitchen is down the hall. If she isn't there, ask Selphie for directions to the other training room."

"Can do," Sora said as he exited the room. He headed down the hall, and found Yuffie in the kitchen with a giant sandwich.

"Hey, Sora! How's training going? Man, I'm starving! I always eat the food here, and I wonder why I leave every time. But then dad starts making me train on my old schedule, and then I remember," Yuffie said with a giggle. "Are you hungry? I can make you another sandwich if you want."

"Hi, you're the new kid, aren't you?" said a voice behind him.

"Oh, hey Selphie! How are you? Meet my apprentice, Sora!" Yuffie said to the girl behind Sora. Sora turned around and saw a small girl that looked to be about a year younger than Sora. She had short spunky brown hair, and perky emerald eyes.

"Well, hey there Sora!" Selphie said as she sprung up next to him. "I'm Selphie, and you're a real cutie!" This last statement from the girl made Sora turn 6 different shades of pink.

"Uh … thanks … I think," Sora said as the girl clung to his arm.

"Yuffie, you told me he was cute, but not _this_ cute!" Selphie said, causing Sora to blush even more.

"Selphie, you be careful with him! He just came from intensive training with Auron-sensei. Plus, if you do anything to hurt Sora, you'll probably have Riku Renvulle breathing down your neck."

"Not that I'd mind, Riku is cute too, but neither of them is as cute as my Tidus! Can I show him around for little bit?"

"Sure, but be back in about 15 minutes so that he can finish his training" Yuffie said as she started on her giant sandwich.

* * *

_The Next Morning:_

Riku had arrived at Cloud and Leon's home, but right now he was very irritated. He came walking through the front door, giving the death glare to Leon, who was lecturing Riku.

"… and you should have stopped for that yellow light!" Leon said in his usual grumpy nature.

"Don't criticize my driving! You don't even have a car!" Riku shot right back.

"That's not the point! The way you drive, we're lucky to still be alive!" Leon said, getting infuriated.

"I got us here in one piece, didn't I?" Riku smirked at how irritated he was making Leon.

"Hey, Riku, Leon. What are you guys doing here?"

"Hey, Cloud, do you know where Sora is? You talk to her more than I ever do, although I don't know why," Leon said.

"She's actually pretty nice if you aren't always arguing with her," Cloud said.

"So, you say," Leon said as he turned away.

"Um, guys back to the topic on hand," Riku said, anxious to hear about Sora.

"Oh, yeah, well, he's with Yuffie, although I'm not sure where exactly," Cloud said taking off the apron he was wearing. "But some old friends will be by later, and they might know where he is," he said as he ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"Who, Cloud," Leon asked, his voice dangerously low, although you know that he wouldn't hurt Cloud.

"I'm not telling!" he said back, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

"Fine," Leon said, with a grunt. "So, what were you cooking? It smells sweet," he said as he sniffed the air.

"Well it should, I baked cookies. Want some Riku?" he asked, having better manners than his so called 'roommate,' even though they usually shared a bed at night.

"Umm sure," Riku said, feeling his stomach grumble and remembering that he hadn't eaten anything all day yesterday. After he had eaten, Riku decided to take a nap, because the people who knew where Sora was weren't going to be here for awhile.

* * *

Sora was now sore all over as he woke up from bed that morning. He could blame Auron for that, because he had gotten thoroughly beaten by Auron, even though Sora was pretty good at hand-to-hand combat. He hadn't gotten a very good rest last night, because he kept having dreams of a certain silver – haired boy. 

He got up yawning, and walked outside to the dojo. Sora had a special room next to Yuffie's because technically he was her apprentice. But today, Yuffie said that she had to go do something out in the city. He walked into the kitchen, and was immediately confronted by two boys who held out some oatmeal to him.

"So, you're the new student, ya?" one with large red head said.

"Well obviously, Wakka, have you ever seen him around before today?" a very energetic blonde said.

"Well it never hurts to check, Tidus," the boy named Wakka said.

Sora sat down at the table and began to eat his cinnamon flavored oatmeal while the two argued.

"Who cares if I like Selphie! You like Lady Lulu!" Tidus said defensively.

"So! Lady Lulu is a beautiful _angel_," Wakka said.

Sora looked down sadly as he heard the word 'angel,' because he remembered that was what Riku had called him once. Finishing the last of his breakfast, he stood up, and went outside to the forest.

"Oh, Riku, where are you now? I can't stop thinking about you no matter how hard I try. I – I miss you, Riku. I hope you're safe and hopefully you have forgotten about me at least, so that you can go back to your old life. But I find myself wondering how I ever could have let you go? But for now, the only thing that I'm grateful for is that you are alive somewhere, and safe.

In the background, he could here Selphie calling him. "Sora, oh, Soraaaaa!" she called.

"I'm coming Selphie!" Sora yelled as he hurried back.

* * *

**A/N: You can skip this part if you don't like Leon/Cloud pairings!**

* * *

Riku woke up to some very disturbing noises coming from Cloud and Leon's room. Riku crept over to the door and slowly cracked it open, careful not to make a sound. He peered inside the dark room and what he saw would scar him forever. Cloud and Leon were on the ground, naked nonetheless. Leon was on top of Cloud, running his hands wildly through his hair, and slowly, his hands started to … move … lower … and … lower, then suddenly, Cloud bucked his hips up violently with a loud groan, grinding into the other boy, causing a moan from the brunette on top. 

**(A/N: It's safe!)**

Riku pulled away from the door, closing it so that they wouldn't notice that somebody had opened it. He crawled away from the door and went back to the couch. He tried to get back to sleep, but he couldn't for two reasons. One reason was that he kept hearing moans, groans, and various name calling coming from the room. The other reason was that he kept thinking about Sora, and he was wondering what he was doing right now…

* * *

"Okay, Sora, time to start your fitness training. First you need to do cardio," Auron said as he stood at the beginning of the track with a stopwatch. "I'm going to time you, so when I say go, start running. Ready … set …go!" 

Sora took off running, and 15:00 minutes later, Sora arrived back at the starting line, out of breath and drinking ferociously out of a water bottle. After swallowing a large gulp, he finally said, "How long was that course! It took forever to do!"

"Oh, it was only a mile and half, give or take a couple of rivers in between," Auron said, a smug smile on his face.

"I had to cross _three_ very **large** rivers! You could have at least warned me about the them! I almost fell in one!" Sora cried indignant.

"But if I had warned you, what would be the fun of that?" Auron said teasingly. Sora sighed angrily, but otherwise didn't say anything. It seemed his new teacher had a very bizarre sense of humor. "Come on, Sora, time to do push ups."

'Great,' Sora thought as he walked over to his waiting master. 'If Ansem doesn't kill me, training will.'

"Okay, this one's simple. Just do push ups until you collapse," he said.

"Uhhhh," Soragroaned as he got down in the push up position.

* * *

_That Evening:_

Riku was relieved when he finally stopped hearing noises coming from the bedroom. He had just fallen asleep again when he heard some loud knocks on the door. In the bedroom he could here scrambling to get on clothes as the knocks grew louder and more impatient. Snickering, Riku got up and answered the door, and in front of him were two ladies, each with black hair. One was sporting a ninja outfit, while the other was wearing a long black dress.

"Are they in the bedroom?" asked the one wearing the dress. Riku nodded yes, and she went over and started banging on the door. "Hurry up and get dressed now!"

A couple of seconds later, a girl wearing a pink jumper with her hair put up in a braid arrived and said, "Let me guess, Lulu, they're in their trying to get their clothes on aren't they?" she said with a giggle towards the girl banging on the door.

"Well, duh, Aerith, what else would they be doing, even though they have a guest, right Riku?" asked the ninja girl, giggling along with Aerith.

"Yuffie? Is that you?" Riku asked as he examined the girl closer.

"Yup, it's me! Bet you don't recognize me without that dorky uniform on, do you?" Yuffie said, while smiling at the boy's stunned look.

Just then the door burst open and out came a very disgruntled Leon and Cloud with their hair all mussed and their clothes askew. "Finally," Lulu said as she moved out of the way.

"Okay, so you caught us. Happy?" Leon said as he walked into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee. "Anybody want some?"

"Actually, I'm very happy! And no, only old people drink coffee, Grandpa Leon," Yuffie said as she sat down at the table, with Leon giving her a very solid death glare in a way that seemed to say, 'Come over here and say that to my face while I have a sword in my hand.'

"Umm, Yuffie, heh-heh, you said that you know where Sora is," Cloud said, clearly reading the signs on his lover's face. It seemed Yuffie could read the signs also, but the only difference was, wasthat she didn't care.

"Come on, Yuffie, tell me," Riku complained towards Yuffie, while nudging her arm.

"Oh, I suppose," Yuffie said, leaning back in the chair and putting her feet up next to Leon's cup of coffee, earning her yet another death glare. "Well, right now, he's with my dad in the mountains. In a way, I feel sorry for the kid, but it's what he wanted."

"The mountains? Come on, Yuffie let me see him! Please?" Riku whined at the older girl, gripping her arm tightly. "I have to see him!"

"I'm sorry, Riku. I really wish I could, but Sora's mind is made up. He doesn't want to get close to you while his stepfather is after him. He's worried you might get hurt, or worse. He really cares for you, Riku. That's why he wants you to forget him. In case he doesn't come back. So that you won't be crying for him and making him feel guilty, because he would never want to cause you unnecessary pain just for him. Look, I've known Sora longer than any of you. And I know that he grew up being told that he was worthless and that nobody should worry about him, because he was taught that he wasn't worth anything to anyone and that crying for him was a waste of tears. All of this is because of two men, the one that hurt him physically and the one that hurt him mentally. Sephiroth and Ansem."

"So, the rumors are true. They have returned," Lulu said darkly as Leon pushed Yuffie's feet off of the table, receiving a glare from the younger girl.

"You see, Riku, that's why he cares about you so much. You truly showed him that it's okay to love and be loved. But in a way that scares him, because now that he's opened his heart up to you, he's worried that his stepfather and his little minion might snatch you away from him and hurt him again," Aerith said, trying to comfort the disappointed boy.

"I understand, it's just that I wanted to see Sora," Riku whispered, with his head bent.

"I know, but if Sora sees you, it will only hurt him more, because he would know that he's hurting you, even though it would make you and him happy for at least a little while. But then he would be sad that he would have to leave again, making both you and him upset. Or, he might choose to stay with you, and when Ansem comes, and you know he will, one of you might get hurt, and that would make both of you sad," Lulu said.

"Trust me, leaving you was one of the hardest things he's done yet," Yuffie said.

"But because of the path that he has chosen, it probably won't be the last," Leon said, after finishing his coffee. "But until he can defend himself, he needs protection from those that are powerful enough to give it to him. No offense Riku."

"But since Sephiroth tracked Sora down at Riku's home, Riku will need protection because they will try to get answers out of you that you may or may not know, and if you don't, they will kill you. _Some_ people might hesitate to kill a kid, but these men won't. If they hear something that they don't like, they will kill you," Cloud said.

"The only exception to their horrific philosophy was Sora. Being the unknowing crown prince, he was the only one who could convict him of rape, molestation, or murder, so they would have gotten rid of him years ago. But because he's the prince, they can't do that, because that would cause an uprising in that world," Leon said grimly.

"Wait a second. You said 'unknowing.' What's that supposed to mean?" Riku asked.

"By 'unknowing,' we mean that sources tell us that Ansem once tried to poison the entire royal family. It worked for the most part, but something about Sora ruined his plan. Kairi he didn't have to worry about, because he knew that she would go to another family. But Sora he knew was willed to him, so he had to get rid of Sora if he wanted to be the king.

But when he went to get rid of him, he was too heavily guarded to kill. But since he was Sora's new stepfather, he was allowed to see him. And the first time that he saw Sora, he realized that the poison had done enough damage, even if it hadn't killed him. Sora couldn't remember that he was the prince, or even who he was. So Ansem called the poisoning an assassination attempt from a neighboring world, and that Sora had gone insane from the shock of losing his family. So, Ansem became the ruler of Hallow Bastion.

After awhile, the attention on Sora went down, and Ansem eventually started taking advantage of Sora, especially when he was drunk, which was often. He started coming into Sora's room at night, and molesting him and trying to rape him. Sora thought that he was no better than a slave, and he was only there for Ansem's sick 'entertainment.' But after awhile, little bits and pieces of his memory came back to him. Not a lot, but enough to know that he wasn't only put in this universe for Ansem to have fun with, and that his last name was Malcite, although he couldn't associate any of it with him being the prince. So eventually, he ran away, but to cover it up, Ansem called it a kidnapping. Ever since then, Ansem has been searching for Sora, so that he could kill him and blame it on the alleged 'kidnappers' and let whatever world that he happened to be on take all the blame. So ended up on the Destiny Islands, and here you have the current Sora that we all know and love," Cloud concluded to a Riku who was in shock.

"So, that explains why he couldn't remember that he was the prince," Riku said, as he broke out of his stupor.

"Yep, that's the whole story, Riku," Yuffie said, standing up. "Hey Riku, I know that you really wanted to see Sora, so I think I came up with a way for you to see Sora without him knowing. In two weeks, meet Aerith in the alley behind the convenience store. I'll take you to see Sora then. He should be done by training by that time, and he will probably be leaving soon afterwards.But by now, I better be heading back to make sure that dad hasn't killed Sora with his fitness training. Who knows how many times I almost got killed by it. Bye everybody," Yuffie said as she walked out.

"Well, it's getting late and I think I better be getting home. I have an art show next week, and I need rest if I'm going to get any sketches done. So, uhh, bye," Riku said while leaving the house. He hurried to catch up with Yuffie before she left. "Yuffie, did you really mean it when you said that I could see Sora?"

"Yep, I did. But remember, he can't see you. You know, Riku, I heard him last night before I left. He was dreaming about you. He knows that you can and will save him, although I should warn you to watch your back. Danger can be lurking in any corner. And now that you have gotten close to Sora, they will be after you. They'll be looking for anyway they can to hurt Sora, and you are the easiest way to do that, because you are the only one besides his sister that he has ever let this close to his heart," Yuffie said while putting a hand on Riku's shoulder.

"Don't worry, I won't let them hurt Sora using me, I promise," Riku said.

"That's a good boy," she said. "But I better hurry and get back to Sora. If I know my dad, he probably has Sora doing things until he drops where he is. I'll see you in two weeks, okay! Bye!"

"Bye Yuffie!" Riku called as she disappeared into the distance. Riku would have gone home, but there was one more stop that he wanted to make before he went home …

* * *

Sora was officially worn out. Today he had done running, push ups, sit ups, pull ups, and just about everything else imaginable, each until he couldn't do it anymore. When Auron finally let Sora go back, he was exhausted to the point that he almost fell asleep where he stood. He went back to his room, and as soon as he went to bed, he was asleep. But in his dreams, he couldn't help but dream about one person. His silver haired savior, Riku.

* * *

Riku arrived at the outlook above the island at close to midnight. He loved this place, because it was wear he first met Sora, a prince with no memories except the few twisted childhood memories with his stepfather. He missed Sora, but he now knew exactly why he left. But Riku still wished that he could see his precious Sora. 

Riku got out of the car and walked up to the outlook, bringing his radio along. He sat down and turned it on. On it was playing "real Emotion" by the former High Summoner Yuna's new concert.

_**What can I do for you?**_

_**What can I do for you?  
**__**What can I do for you?  
**__**What can I do for you?  
**__**I can hear you!  
**__**What can I do for you?  
**__**What can I do for you?  
**__**What can I do for you?**_

_**Far beyond the hazy borders of my heart,  
**__**I can see a place,  
**__**It's something like this.  
**__**Every now and then I don't know what to do,  
**__**All I know is I,  
**__**Can never go back.  
**__**All the things seen,  
**__**In those hazy dreams,  
**__**Can't compare to what I'm seeing now,  
**__**Everything's so different,  
**__**That it brings me to my knees!**_

_**And, though, I know, the world of real Emotion  
**__**Has surrounded me,  
**__**I won't give into it  
**__**Now, I know  
**__**that forward Is the only way my heart  
**__**Can go,  
**__**I hear your voice calling out to me,  
**__**You'll never be alone.**_

_**What can I do for you?  
**__**What can I do for you?  
**__**What can I do for you?  
**__**I can hear you!**_

_**And if, I find, the real without emotion  
**__**Has surrounded me,  
**_**_And I can't go on,  
_****_And you are there,  
_**_**The moment that I close my eyes  
**__**You comfort me  
**__**We are connected for all of time  
**__**I'll never be alone.**_

_**And oh, I know, the world of real Emotion  
**__**Has surrounding me,  
**__**I won't give into it  
**__**Now, I know,  
**__**that forward is the only way my heart  
**__**Can go,  
**__**I hear your voice calling out to me,  
**__**You'll never be alone.**_

_**What can I do for you?  
**__**What can I do for you?  
**__**What can I do for you?  
**__**I can hear you!**_

_**I can hear you!**_

"Sora, be safe," Riku whimpered mournfully into the open air. "Whatever you do, be safe. And just remember that whatever you do, andwherever you go, I'll be in your heart, so I'll always be with you."

* * *

**Author's Ranting:  
**So, how was that y'all? Did you like it? Leave me a review and tell me! I really enjoy reading all of your thoughts and comments. So, what did you like or dislike? So in this chapter you found out a lot of things about Sora's past and stuff. Did you enjoy it? It was kind of confusing to write, but I think that I got through it okay. In the next chapter, Sora will complete his training, Riku gets to see Sora, and Sora begins his quest to battle Ansem. I think I might leave the last chapter of this story sad, and then come out with a sequel using another idea I had earlier. Not sure yet, idea is still on the review board. Or maybe I could make it end happy and then have a sequel where everthing turns bad ... I don't know. What do you guys want? Check out my bio page for a short summary on what I think might happen. Tell me what you think. The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll post my chapter! The more ideas or comments I get, the sooner I'll make a decision. It might take a little longer to post the next chapter, but I'll try my best to get it up for next Saturday. So, review and Ja Ne! (By the way, I don't own "real Emotion" either!) 


	3. The Reuniting of Two Friends

**Silver Haired Savior**

**The Reuniting of Two Friends**

**Date Started: **6/26/05

**Date Finished: **7/3/05

**Disclaimer: **Okay, if I owned Kingdom Hearts, it would definitely be weirder than this! Plus, Riku would be all mine!

**Author's Ranting: **

So sorry this is late! This chapter is dedicated to Sunshine Pie, DieChan, AnimeDutchess, MagicianCyborg, starryskydragon, sweatthangpaige, inuyashapup, and Sai-ryo Aura Feana. Thanks for all of your reviews. I didn't really get a chance to go through and beta it, so if you see any spelling/grammar mistakes ... ignore them! So, without further ado, on with the next chapter!

* * *

_Two Weeks Later:_

Sora slowly lifted his sore and bruised body from the sleeping bag he had been using for the past two days on the camping trip that he was required to take while training with Master Auron. Carefully packing up the items that he had taken with him he reflected on the past two weeks. This trip was the last test he would take before he would finally be able to take on his arch foe. The past two weeks Sora had changed considerably. No longer was he the little kid that could be pushed around by others. No, siree! He was now a strong warrior, able to take on whatever came his way. But inside, he was still the sweet little boy that had been dropped into a world of poverty and hardship at a young age.

The past two weeks had been full of getting up early, going to bed late, and bruises, cuts, and aching in places he didn't even know he had. But Sora had endured all of it, with only minimal complaining. The urge to get back to Riku drove him, like nothing ever had before. He couldn't wait to see Riku's smiling face again. But, unfortunately, he knew he couldn't, not until he was finally rid of Ansem. He couldn't risk Riku like that. Sora had finally realized that he had feelings for Riku, although he would never admit it.

Sora was now best at sword and shuriken, although he wasn't so good at nun chucks. He was okay at hand fighting, but he still felt better with a weapon in hand. Sora only had a couple days left before he would leave, and he was going to spend them training as hard as he could.

Sora started down the mountain, from the highest elevation. It was steaming during the day, but freezing at night. Every student that had ever graduated had to spend two days on top of the mountain, withstanding everything that came your way. You were only allowed to use what you brought, so you had to pack carefully. You couldn't pack too much, because you had to carry it up the mountain. But you couldn't pack to little, because then you may not survive.

These past two days he had battled wyverns, search ghosts, shadows, and at one time a behemoth. He had survived each encounter, never saying a word, thoughts of Riku kept him surviving, kept him battling the darkness. Never once did he falter, never once risking his survival, because the need for Riku was too much to lose. By now, he was almost at the dojo, just a little ways to go. He kept having this feeling, like Riku was coming, but whenever he looked, he was never there.

Sora had finally arrived at the dojo, where he could see Selphie bouncing up and down in excitement, happy that he had arrived back safely. Sora knew that not everybody always made it back from the ordeal. They usually ended up being found by Master Auron a week later. But not Sora. He wasn't going to let anyone or anything interfere with his mission.

Still being the same old Sora on the inside, the very first place he went was, of course, the kitchen. He went inside and found Yuffie there, with a giant pizza. Sora got a plate out of the cupboard and grabbed a couple pieces of the pizza. The first taste he took was wonderful, his mouth finally tasting something other than bread and water for two days. After he had eaten at least five pieces of the pizza, he looked at Yuffie, who was staring at Sora in wonderment.

"You know I always did wonder how you could stuff so much food in your mouth, Sora," Yuffie said with a chuckle. "You know the old grouch is probably looking for you right now. You had him scared to death when you didn't come back during the rain storm last night. Never hang around Selphie when she's scared like that. She'll put bad images in your mind. Gruesome images. Who'd have ever thought that a spunky little girl like that could be so scary."

"Yep, she'll do that to you," Sora said, feeling the bump that he'd gotten when he had foolishly accepted her challenge to spar using any weapon that they wanted. Well how was he supposed to know that she was a master at nun chucks? "I guess I'll go find Auron now."

"Oh, Sora. We heard a lot of loud noises coming from on top of the mountains. What was that?" Yuffie asked curiously.

"Oh, that? You heard that? It was just a behemoth," Sora said coolly, acting as if it happened everyday. When, in fact, he was scared witless for at least a minute before regaining his senses.

"Well, you had better tell my dad. He'll want to know that behemoths are back on the mountain."

"Can do, Yuffie. Got to go," he said, walking out the door.

"Oh, and one more thing. I have to go somewhere tonight, so I won't be back until morning."

"All right. Have fun!" he said as he opened the door outside and put on his shoes. He walked towards the waterfall, where Auron spent most of his time when he wasn't training a student. Sora climbed the small cliff with ease, having lots of practice the past week. He reached the top, and jumped down, to find Auron underneath the waterfall with his eyes shut. Sora cautiously walked over to the rock next to the waterfall, and sat down.

"Who is it?" Auron asked in a trance-like state.

"Can't you tell," Sora said with his trademark grin.

"My eyes are closed, Sora," Auron replied in an irritated tone.

"But I thought you were all seeing," the brunette teased.

"It seems someone has been spending too much time with my daughter, now haven't they," he said, getting out of his position underneath the waterfall. "So, it seems that you have made it back safely, eh?"

"Yup! It was easy!" Sora said, springing up from his rock.

"I heard a lot of noise from the mountain last night. What was it?" Auron asked in bored tone.

"Oh, yeah, Yuffie said you would want to know that you have behemoths on the mountain," Sora said in a carefree voice. "But you don't have to worry about me, because I took care of it easily!"

"Wait a second! **You** took on a full grown behemoth and _lived_!" Auron exclaimed, surprised.

"Yeah, it wasn't that hard. All you have to do is jump on its back and whack its horn over and over again," Sora answered with a wide smile on his face.

"It's just that I can't believe someone like you discovered the secret to beating a behemoth, especially at your level," Auron smirked as he walked away.

"Hey! What do you mean somebody like me!" Sora yelled as he chased after the ninja.

* * *

_Later that Night:_

It was midnight and Riku and Aerith stood in the alleyway just like Yuffie told him to do. Riku was wearing a pair of comfortable jeans, and a blue t-shirt that was the same shade of blue as Sora's eyes. He was fidgeting with anxiousness as he waited for the carefree ninja to arrive so that she could take him to see Sora. He missed Sora, and couldn't stop thinking about him. Even in his dreams he couldn't stop thinking about the boy's spiky auburn locks, adorable lips that formed an adorable pout, and finally, those amazing blue eyes, that were a brilliant shade, the color of the bluest ocean, and the color of the deepest, purest, sapphire.

"Riku, stop fidgeting! Yuffie will be here soon! They are really far away, you know," Aerith chastised, wishing she could be in bed right now.

"Oh, I know. It's just that I can't wait to see Sora!" Riku whined. Just then, they saw the sewer entrance moving, and out popped a girl with black hair.

"Hi, Yuffie," Aerith said, walking over to give the girl a hand out.

"Hey, Riku! Are ya ready to go see Sora?" Yuffie asked hyper.

"Yup, sure am," Riku said, walking over to the girl.

"Well we better hurry, otherwise he'll wake up and you won't get to see him. Come on," Yuffie said, jumping into the hole. Riku followed after.

"I'd come, but I have work tomorrow. Bye," Aerith called from above. They walked for awhile and eventually came upon a dead-end. Yuffie reached up and pushed away a covering, and climbed out of the hole, then helped Riku up. He looked up and saw a humungous mountain that looked almost impossible to climb. It was dark, and he couldn't see much but he followed Yuffie around to the side. She pushed away some trees, and revealed a rock climbing path. She quickly started up the path, motioning for Riku to follow. He did, and they were soon on top of the mountain.

"Wow! The view up here is great!" Riku exclaimed, looking down at the scenery.

"Let's hurry. We're almost there, and Sora should be going to bed soon, so we have to get there ahead of time." They hurried up the path, and soon arrived at the dojo. She led him to a small set of buildings around the side, and she showed him Sora's room. "Here, you can hide in the closet. He never looks in there."

"Thanks, Yuffie," Riku said with gratitude. He climbed into the closet, and shut it, leaving it open only enough so that he could see outside. He waited a little while, and he eventually heard some noises outside. He looked out, and saw Sora, looking very exhausted.

Riku watched as he took off his shirt, exposing scarred skin pulled over strong muscles. Riku watched, feeling himself growing angry at the men who had given them all of those scars, knowing that when they were fresh, they caused Sora much pain. He watched as Sora took off his pants, and winced as he felt his arousal twitching. Fortunately for Riku, that was where Sora stopped, otherwise Riku might have jumped out of the closet and started fucking him right then and there.

Sora climbed into bed, and Riku was sad to see him go to sleep, but happy that he at least got to see Sora for a little bit. He still looked like a little angel when sleeping, so naturally he couldn't help but take out his notebook and draw him; his little angel. He made a quick sketch, then just sat there, and watched Sora sleep peacefully.

"Riku … got to save Riku … I won't let you hurt him … Riku …" Sora muttered in his sleep.

'He's – he's dreaming about me?' Riku thought, in surprise.

"Leave Riku alone … he's mine … my Riku …," Sora continued muttering. "Riku … I-I … I lo …"

"Sora?" Riku said, not realizing that he said it aloud.

"Riku!" Sora yelled, sitting up as he awoke. "Riku! I could of sworn I heard him … Riku, I'm coming back to you, I promise," Sora said softly, thoughts of the silver haired boy filling his head as he lay back in the bed. After awhile, he fell asleep, but it was an uneasy one. Only after Riku was positive that Sora was asleep, he crept out of his hiding spot, careful not to make a noise. He looked at the sleeping boy, and it took all of his will power not to jump him right there. He slipped out of the room, and went over to where Yuffie was.

"So, did you enjoy your self?" whispered Yuffie as she saw Riku coming out of Sora's room.

"Sure did," Riku said with his trademark smirk. "Geez, Yuffie, why didn't you tell me he sleeps in his boxers! It's so … cute! Come to think of it, those are my boxers, but who cares."

"So, what are we doing now?" Yuffie asked a blushing Riku.

"I don't know," Riku said, truly confused. "I don't want to leave him, but you said that he couldn't know that I was here."

"Well, before he went in his room, I talked to him. He said that he was going to leave tomorrow so that he could fight Ansem. I tried to talk him out of it, but his mind is set. I think he wants to get back to you. I personally don't think he's ready, but he is going anyways. So, do you think I'm just gonna let him run off like that? Of course not! I'm going to follow him! Wanna come? I heard that you are pretty good with a sword," Yuffie said with a grin.

"He's going! I can't let him do that! Of course I'll follow him, he's like the first real friend I ever had!" Riku cried, carefully hiding the fact that he was, in fact, in love with the brunette.

"Okay, but we're going to have to hide you until Sora leaves. I know! You can stay in the room down the hall. Just be careful not to talk to much while Sora's here," Yuffie said as she led him down the hall. She opened the door, revealing a slightly dusty room. "Sorry, it's a little dusty, but it's the last room we've got open. It's just one night. Tomorrow we can get you a sword. I know a place that makes really good swords, although they are a little expensive. But that shouldn't be a problem for you; you're a millionaire. Sweet dreams," Yuffie told him as she went into her own room.

Riku walked into the dusty room, and being the clean freak he was, he found a broom in a closet, and started dusting after a while, and a lot of cleaning, he finally deemed it to be sanitary. He took off his shirt, and got into bed, starting to have dreams of what his life could be with the adorable brunette.

* * *

Sora's dreams were haunted by one man. Ansem. He was having nightmares again, but this time there was no Riku to comfort him. He suffered alone, never leaving this dream, although he wanted to. If he couldn't survive this, then he would never survive a battle with the real thing. 

_It was a dark, cold room. Sora was shivering, but not from the temperature. They were shivers of fear, because of his stepfather, and he knew that he would be coming soon. He sat huddled up in a corner, waiting for the thing that had been haunting him for as long as he could remember. 'Why me?' Sora asked himself in his head. He didn't have any friends to confide in, so he was all alone. 'Why was I born into a world like this? I'm all alone. Nobody cares. I wish I could just die right here, instead of facing this everyday. I don't want to live.'_

_Sora stood up and went over to the box where he hid his most precious item. He took it out, and went back to the corner he was huddled in. He opened the small army knife, a token he had taken from a guard. He cut a thin line on his arm, and watched the crimson blood run down his ghostly white arm. He didn't care; the stuff his stepfather did to him was a hundred times worse than this._

_He heard a slam outside, and quickly hid the knife. The door to his room burst open, and there he stood, Ansem, the lord of this place, the only thing he ever feared. The man grabbed Sora roughly, and tugged him to the bed. Sora smelled the alcohol on his breath, and instantly knew that he was in for a horrible night. He threw Sora on the bed, so hard that he flew into the wall on the other side. He didn't make a sound, not wanting to give this man the satisfaction of making him suffer. The large man locked the door, and faced Sora with an evil grin._

_He walked over to Sora, and saw the deep terror in Sora's sapphire eyes. He looked at the blood running down the boy's skinny arm. The dark blood contrasted with the creamy white skin that covered Sora's frail body. He grabbed Sora roughly, and pulled off his shirt, exposing scarred skin. He threw Sora against the bed, and snatched his arm, and started licking the blood off of Sora, making him shudder underneath his touch. He traced the blood back to the wound, and started sucking on it, making Sora whimper at the pain. He eventually stopped, and he started sucking on Sora's flesh. He started reaching a hand into his pants, touching him in places that he obviously didn't want to be touched in. _

"_Stop!" he cried, as he squirmed underneath his touch. "If you don't, I'll kill myself!"_

"_Fine, but now, you get to have fun with my assistant," he said, getting off of Sora. "Sephiroth," he called as he unlocked the door to Sora's "room." More like his cage. The man came into Sora's room, his whip in hand. _

"_Being resistant again, Sora?" he scoffed at the young boy. "Well, Sora, I guess I'll have to teach you your lesson … again." He stalked towards the boy, who huddled up in a little ball. _

_An hour later, Sephiroth left, fresh blood on his whip. There were even more cuts on Sora, as he pulled out a shirt, wishing more than ever that he could just die, right then and there._

Sora woke up in a cold sweat, his scars feeling like they were burning horribly. He felt like needed to take a walk, so he pulled on some clothes and went outside. He climbed the short walk to the waterfall, and sat down on the rock. This was where he liked to meditate, because it was always so … peaceful. He sat there, in silence for awhile, thinking in the blissful quiet. 'So peaceful,' Sora thought with a sigh. 'I'll hate to leave, but I want to see Riku.' After awhile, he got up and went over to the main part of the dojo. He snuck over to the equipment room, and took out a set of lock picks that he had "borrowed" from Yuffie. He quickly got the door unlocked, and he went in.

He browsed through the room, looking at the various pieces of equipment. He found the shuriken, and grabbed as many as he could. He grabbed a small bag, and used it to hold the shuriken. He found a good looking sword, and put it in his bag. After awhile, he snuck out of the room, with a sleeping bag, a compact pillow, and a rope. He went back to his room, and gathered what few possessions he had. He had gathered the stuff, then went to his closet. He opened it, and found … was that a pencil? He picked it up and looked at it. He stuck it in his bag, but as he did, he smelled a familiar scent. It was … roses. He inwardly cringed, and felt himself grow even more determined, because he wanted to smell that scent again. He threw the bag over his shoulder, and left in the middle of the night, heading towards the place he had heard that Ansem was in last.

* * *

Riku was rudely awoken from his sleep by a rude shaking. He opened his eyes and glared angrily at the person who had woken him from his sweet dream of what he could have been doing to Sora. He looked into the eyes of a very worried Yuffie, and he sat up, knowing something was wrong. 

"What's wrong?" Riku asked the worried girl.

"Sora's missing. I think he decided to leave early. Get dressed, because we are leaving. Now!" Yuffie said, while pushing him out of the bed. Riku put on his shirt, and followed the ninja out of the room. It seemed that she had already packed, because as soon as he was out in the hall, a bag was thrown at him. He caught it out of reflex, and put it over his back. Riku followed Yuffie out of the dojo, and they soon came upon a mountain path that went two ways. Riku could smell a scent, it was faint, but still there.

"Sora went this way, Yuffie," Riku told the girl, who seemed to be at a loss of which way to go. "Let's go."

"Okay, lead on," Yuffie said, trusting Riku's sense of direction.

* * *

_Later that Day:_

Sora finally reached the next mountain. It was noon by now, and Sora was exhausted. He looked around for a cave, and settled in, to take a small nap. He had just fallen asleep, when he smelled a comforting aroma fill his senses. It smelled like … roses … Riku? Sora sat up with a groan, and looked out of the small cave. Luckily for Sora, it was hidden behind a few bushes, so he could look out and see outside, while nobody could see him. He heard voices, and when he pushed the bushes away so that he could see, he was stunned at the sight before him.

There was Riku, standing there with Yuffie, nose raised to the air. "Yuffie, I can't find his scent! Something must have happened to him!" he said, alarm in his voice.

"I highly doubt something happened to him. The plants up here have strong aromas, making it hard to track somebody by scent. Besides, if I know him, he won't give up that easily," Yuffie said in a carefree voice.

'What is Riku doing here!' Sora thought. 'And who are they looking for? They can't be looking for me.'

"But we have to find Sora before he does something stupid! I can't just let the monster get him!" Riku yelled, still trying to find Sora's scent.

'So they are looking for me,' Sora thought guiltily. 'But I have a feeling Riku didn't find his way up here by himself. Yuffie must have helped him up here! Darn you, Yuffie! I told you not to let him get involved!'

Sora gathered up his things, because he knew that Riku was going to find him eventually. But, since he _was_ happy to see Riku, didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun. He waited till their backs were turned, and then crept out of his hiding spot. He lined up his shot, and then ran and jumped on top of Riku, sending them both tumbling into the ground. He smiled down at the boy now underneath him, and gave him a big hug.

"Riku," he whispered softly in the boy's shoulder.

"Nice to see you too, Sora," Riku said, hugging the boy back. Hey sat like that for a little while, and although he didn't want the warmth to leave, Riku finally had to say, "Sora, not that I'm not glad to have you on me, but could you get off, you're kind of crushing me."

"Oh, sorry, Riku," Sora said as he got off. He didn't want to; Riku smelled so good. "Riku, why are you here? I told you that I didn't want you to get involved!"

"I know, but I couldn't stop thinking about you. You had me worried so much, I had to find you!" Riku said, hugging the boy now that they were in a sitting position.

"Awww, that's so cute!" Yuffie said. They suddenly realized that she was still there, and Riku let go of Sora and stood up, glaring daggers at Yuffie. He helped Sora to his feet, and then brushed himself off. "Come on, let's go," Riku said, wanting to get home so he could be with Sora … alone.

* * *

_That Night: _

They walked for awhile up the mountain, before Sora eventually collapsed from exhaustion. Riku looked at the sleeping boy who had unceremoniously dropped on the ground. Riku heaved him onto his back, and continued along the mountain, looking for a place to stay for the night. They eventually found an out of the way cave, and settled down for the night.

Riku carefully set the unconscious boy down, and pulled out the sleeping bag and pillow that Sora had taken. He gently put Sora in, and took out his own things. He set out his things next to Sora, looked over at the ninja, who had already set her things out and was now asleep. He laughed quietly at this, and got into his own sleeping bag. He closed his eyes, but he heard Sora's voice cutting into his dreams.

"Riku," Sora said softly.

Riku opened his eyes, and saw the half lidded sapphire eyes of the younger boy. "Yes, Sora?" Riku asked.

"Don't leave me," Sora said as his eyes fluttered shut.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Sora," Riku said as he scooted his sleeping bag closer to Sora's.

"Good," Sora muttered, and fell back asleep. Riku watched the brunette a little longer, before he too, was overtook by exhaustion, and fell asleep.

* * *

_Next Morning:_

Riku woke up with a stiff back, but he felt warmth in front of him. He never actually opened his eyes, and snuggled up closer to the source of heat, not wanting to wake up. But, curiosity soon overtook him, and he cracked an eye open wanting to see what was so soft and warm. He saw brown, spiky locks that smelled like roses, and a pillow right next to him. Riku had gotten a rather large sleeping bag, and now Sora was in it. He opened his eyes all the way, and saw an abandoned sleeping bag next to his, and Riku was more confused than ever.

'How had Sora gotten into my sleeping bag?' he asked himself over and over again. After awhile, a horrible thought entered his mind. 'We didn't …' Riku thought as he sniffed the air. Making sure that he didn't smell sex, he finally relaxed. The younger boy started to stir, and Sora looked up, showing Riku two big blue eyes. "Hi, Sora," Riku said, smiling down at the boy.

"Hi, Riku," Sora said, shooting off one of his trademark smiles. "I bet you're wondering why I'm in your sleeping bag, huh?"

"Yeah, kind of wondering. But not like I mind it," Riku said, giving Sora a seductive smile.

"I kept having nightmares, and you were just so … comforting … I couldn't resist," Sora finished, slightly sheepish.

"It's okay, I understand," Riku said, hugging the boy tighter to his chest. He inhaled the scent of Sora's hair, and loved the warmth against his chest.

"Well, if you to love birds are finished, we have to get moving," said a voice behind Riku. He cringed slightly, and slowly got up. He moved the hair out of his eyes, and started putting things away.

They had just finished packing, when Sora declared, "I'm hungry."

Riku laughed at the boy, and dug in his pack. He soon produced three pieces of bread, and passed them out to everybody. They finished eating, and they were soon on the road again. It was a beautiful day out, but the travelers were anything but happy. Yuffie was sulking over lost sleep, and the good food at the dojo. Sora and Riku were both sulking about what they could be doing in bed, and the fact that they knew they were going to be facing terrible danger when they found Sora's stepfather.

* * *

They continued along the path, each sulking in their own way, Yuffie in front, Riku and Sora in back. Sora was truly bored. He needed something to keep his mind busy, but he didn't know what. He was right next to Riku, the proximity was driving him nuts. He had felt like he needed a cold shower. A _very _cold shower. He had realized that he wanted Riku last night, and he couldn't help himself. He had climbed into Riku's sleeping bag, and snuggled up to him. He was so … enticing, that Sora had to be close to him. His scent … his warmth … the comfort that he gave off … Sora couldn't contain his need. 

Sora snaked his hand into Riku's, holding him tightly, as if he let go, he would go away. Riku looked at him in surprise, but didn't protest, because he enjoyed the feeling that Sora made him feel. They walked together in silence, letting their eyes and hands do the talking.

They had walked for a long time, when a fog settled in. The three travelers continued up the path, and it finally grew dark. They searched for a cave, and eventually found one in an alcove. They unpacked, then started a small fire inside cave, because it was getting cold out. They had a small dinner of bread and cheese, and then they went to bed. Yuffie was asleep almost instantly, but Riku and Sora stayed up, both lost in feelings and emotions.

Sora couldn't get to sleep no matter how hard he tried, so he lay back and stared at the ceiling of the cave. His mind kept wandering to Riku, and he wished that they were back in the city, warm inside Riku's penthouse apartment.

"Riku, are you awake?" Sora whispered to the boy next to him.

"Yeah," Riku answered.

"I can't sleep," Sora said.

"Me neither," Riku replied.

"Hey, Riku, what are we going to do after this? I mean, if we defeat Ansem, what then?" Sora asked, uncertain of the future.

"First of all, there won't be any 'if' we defeat Ansem. We'll defeat him. He deserves to die after what he did to you. And afterwards, we'll go back to the city. You can live with me, because having you there made me actually want to come home. Besides, I'd be sad without you there, because you are like my muse."

"Okay, but if for some reason I don't make it back, tell everybody … I'm sorry," Sora muttered quietly.

"Don't think like that, Sora," Riku chastised.

"But -,"

"No!"

"Fine …," Sora said, looking sheepish. "Riku … can I sleep with you? I don't know why, but you make me feel better at night. Whenever I'm with you, I don't have nightmares."

"Come on," Riku said, scooting over. Sora climbed in next to him, and Riku wrapped his arms around Sora. He snuggled up to the Riku's warm chest, and they fell asleep like that, together with each other.

* * *

**Author's Ranting:**

Hi, everybody, and sorry for putting this out so late! I tried really hard to get it out for today, but my writer's block kept making me stop. It was really hard to keep my mind concentrated on this. At least in the next chapter, things will start to heat up! Battles, and stuff like that. I've already started working on it, so stay tuned in! I'll try my best to get it out for Saturday. Please leave a review, because they help make me get my lazy butt moving on the chapter. So, review and Ja Ne!


	4. Why Love has No Boundaries

**Silver Haired Savior**

**Why Love has No Boundaries**

**Date Started:** 7/5/05

**Date Finished: **7/6/05

**Disclaimer:** I really don't see why I'm doing this, but here goes … (ahem) I no ownie Kingdom Hearts. The only thing I own is Sora's necklace, which I bought with babysitting money. Well, that and the plot to this story, where here at least I can bend them to my will! Hah! Don't sue me. I only have like a penny, so it wouldn't really be worth it anyways.

**Author's Nonsense:**

Hi, everyone! Thanks for all of the reviews! You are all so nice! This chapter is dedicated to MerodiTora, sweatthangpaige, thekeybladegirl, Tala and Kai Lover, Auron's Fan, Kori Tenshi, YO IM WEIRD, AnimeDutchess, and starryskydragon. You all get cookies and pie! Pie is good! So are cookies! This is one of my most popular stories, thanks to all of you loyal readers/ reviewers! I just want to thank you so much! In this chapter, things start to heat up, as surprises unravel, and pasts are revealed. So enjoy, because things start to get hot. Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire! Ja Ne!

**Warning! Heavy T rating on this chapter! Rated for language and disturbing images. You have been warned!

* * *

**

_The Next Day:_

Sora woke up with a warm heat by his side, and he just lay there with his eyes shut, basking in the comfortable warmth next to him. He turned on his side, and snuggled up to Riku, inhaling the sweet scent that seemed to be only Riku's. But as much as he tried to loose himself in the silver haired boy's scent, the feeling in the pit of his stomach just wouldn't dissipate.

With a sigh, the boy sat up and looked around. He was in a dark cave with a musty smell. He gently climbed out of bed, careful not to wake his friend. He walked out of the cave, and looked up. He soon realized why he felt so horrible. Just a ways up ahead, he could see a castle.

It had giant wyverns and wizards hovering over it, menacing and deadly. Sora crouched down, knowing that the wyverns had a powerful sense of smell and sight. He looked lower, and saw the large bodies and darkballs protecting the doors. He heard a clanking of armor coming closer and closer, and Sora crouched even lower, as he saw a large group of shadow and soldier Heartless coming closer and closer. He saw a flash of light emit from the castle, and Sora felt a sharp pain overtake his whole body.

He carefully crawled inside the cave, and huddled up next to Riku. The feeling worsened, and he took the fetal position, wishing that the feeling would just go away. It felt like something was stabbing him with a sword or a knife over and over again, but there was no blood. He had only felt this once before, when he had tried to kill Ansem in his sleep. It had backfired miserably, and Sora had gotten locked in his room without dinner for a week. He thought he had gotten off easily, but in the middle of the night he felt these pains, making him want to scream out in pain until he couldn't anymore. If this pain went on too long, it could drive a person insane. But he wasn't going to break. He could fight, and he could win. But even that is difficult under these conditions, and Sora soon started whimpering in pain.

* * *

Riku awoke to the cries and whimpers of a small boy huddled next to him. He opened his eyes, and saw Sora in the fetal position, tears running down his poor face. The sight made Riku's heart clench in pain. The look on the poor boy's face made Riku want to go out and kill whoever was making him suffer this much. But he couldn't because Sora needed him here, right now. 

Riku got up and held Sora in his lap, wiping away the tears that were flowing down his face. He murmured soothing words in the boy's ear, trying to comfort his angel that was in so much pain. Riku's heart was clenching painfully in his chest, making him want to cry out in pain too. He threw his pillow at Yuffie, who seemed to be able to sleep through this.

"Yuffie, wake up!" Riku yelled at the ninja, who was groggily trying to get up. "Something's wrong with Sora!" Yuffie stood up, and went over to the boy who was clutching Riku tightly, sobbing uncontrollably.

"What's wrong with him!" Yuffie asked quickly.

"I-I don't know! I just woke up, and he was like this!" Riku cried back, worrying about Sora.

"Let me think … Here, let me see him!" Yuffie said, as she pulled the boy's shirt off. They looked at the skin on his back, and there was a mark the shape of a star, marring his creamy skin. "Oh, damn!" Yuffie yelled, and she stood up. "This spell is a very painful one that was created to make the receiver suffer. I need to see where the spell is coming from, and then I need to figure out how to make it stop. For each sorcerer it's different, making it hard to break the spell. I'll be back!" she said as she ran out of the cave.

Riku looked down at the young boy he held in his arms, and saw the pain distorting his beautiful face. It made him hurt so much inside, as he wiped away the tears that were drenching his cheeks. The brunette's lips were trembling in sobs, and Riku bent down to still them with his own. Their lips met, and the pain that Sora was feeling instantly disappeared. Sora's lips tasted like … a sweet mix between chocolate and coffee, stirring up memories of the time he had first met Sora. Riku realized that was when he had fallen in love; that first time he saw Sora as a homeless orphan, who only needed someone to care for him.

He pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Sora's arms wrapped around Riku's waist, as relief washed over him. Riku never wanted to let go, but he knew that he was going to have to. But right now, he didn't have to, making him feel all warm inside. He was never going to let Sora's monster of a stepfather hurt Sora in his sick twisted way again. His poor little Sora.

Just then, Yuffie came bursting into the cave, her eyes to the floor. "I don't know how to break it! It doesn't make any sense! I …" Yuffie said as her sight finally landed on the two boys. "Well, I guess I found it. How … cute!" The two boys jumped apart, surprised because they hadn't heard Yuffie come in. They had both turned about six shades of pink, and they were looking very sheepish.

"Oh … uh … hi, Yuffie," Riku said guiltily. "We weren't doing anything, really."

"Right … So it looks like you found the antidote on your own. I never would have guessed that was it. Hey, Sora, come here," Yuffie said, as the boy walked over. She looked at the mark on his back, and realized that there were two marks on the boy's back, one faded more than the other. "So this isn't the first time that this has happened, right? It's happened before, hasn't it?"

Sora looked at the ground, and started fidgeting nervously with his shirt. "I - uh well, the only other time that I've ever felt a pain like that was when I had tried to kill him in his sleep about a month before I left. He said that I would only be locked in my room without dinner for a week. I thought that I had gotten off easy, but in the middle of the night I … I started feeling these sharp pains. It – it felt like somebody was stabbing you, over and over again, all over your body, except there was no blood. You can't die from it, but if it goes long enough, you can go insane."

"Sora," Riku whispered under his breath. He felt the fury in him rise as he saw a lone tear slip down Sora's face. 'That monster,' Riku thought angrily to himself as his aquamarine eyes darkened. 'I swear, when I get my hands on him, I'll kill him!' Riku walked over to Sora, and wiped the tear off of Sora's face. "Come on," he said. "Let's get moving. The sooner we get to him, the sooner I can kill him."

"You shouldn't be so eager to kill; it can mean death in the long run, you know," Yuffie said, rolling up her sleeping bag and putting it away. They gathered up the items left around the camp, and soon they were all packed. They quietly crawled out of the hiding spot, and watched carefully for the patrol groups that came this way.

* * *

They started up the path, and after awhile, they heard the clanking of armor and the sound of search ghosts coming from up the path. Yuffie, Sora, and Riku ducked into the thicket, waiting for the group to pass them. After a long while, the Heartless finally passed, and the small group of travelers finally climbed out. 

They continued on, heading forward toward the looming castle. Somehow, Sora's hand had found its way to Riku's, and they walked hand in hand, never knowing the fate that awaited them.

* * *

_That Evening:_

It was getting dark soon, and they decided that they needed to stop for the night. Ever since about noon, Riku had been smelling a very foul scent, and he guessed that it was coming from the castle. It smelled … dark and sinister, the exact opposite of Sora. The scent of evil.

They found a cave, and settled down in it, rolling out there sleeping bags and building a small fire. It was a well hidden cave, so they didn't have to worry about getting found by search ghosts that were wandering around.

"So … we're finally here," Sora said forlorn.

"Yup, we are," Riku said, just as glumly.

"Tomorrow … we attack. But the important thing is how," Yuffie said, putting some bread out over the fire on a large stick that they had found earlier.

"I think we need to sneak in, real quietly, and attack him," Riku said.

"No, that won't work. He has so many Heartless that will never work. And then there's that little dog of his, Sephiroth. No, what we need is a plan. We need … a distraction! I can create a distraction, while you two go and get him. That should work," Yuffie concluded, a very smug look on her face.

"Okay, so you can create a distraction, and we can get Ansem. But the question is, what kind of distraction are you planning to pull?" Sora asked.

"Well, the layout of the castle is simple," Yuffie said, grabbing a twig and drawing in the dirt on the bottom of the cave. She drew a box with a line on one side, and mountains on the other. She drew the path they were currently on, and the cave where they were sleeping. "Okay. So here is the castle," she said, pointing to the square. "Here are the mountains, and here is the cliff," she said, pointing at the line. "I think if we create an avalanche here, you can sneak in through an entrance down here," she said, pointing to a tucked in area of the box. "There is supposedly a hidden entrance down there."

"Okay, I think that will work. What's below the cliff?" Riku asked curiously.

"Ummm … I don't know! I'm assuming some sharp rocks," Yuffie said, rubbing the back of her head.

"Well, that's a good plan. We should get some sleep, if we want to do this tomorrow," Sora said, crawling over to his sleeping bag.

"Yeah, Sora's right. We should get to sleep," Riku said, going over to his own.

"Good night and sleep well, guys," Yuffie said as she dozed off. Sora lay in his bedroll, waiting for the sound of even breathing coming from Riku. He eventually heard it, and he quietly climbed out of his sleeping bag. He snuck outside, and climbed on top of the closest tree. He looked out at the night sky and the beautiful stars and moon that shined overhead on the forever lasting ocean of black. He let out a sigh that he didn't know he was holding.

'The sky … is so … beautiful. What if this is the last time that I get to see it?' Sora thought sadly. 'And Riku … what if this is the last night I get to spend with him near me? I hope this isn't the last time I will walk outside in the night,' Sora thought to himself as a tear slipped down his face.

"Sora?" came a whisper from below. With a sigh, he climbed down to find Riku looking at him with a worried expression. "Sora, are you okay? You know that you shouldn't be out here."

"Yeah, I know. It's just that … I – I … wanted to see the sky one last time. You know … in case we don't make it for some reason," Sora replied, staring at the ground, looking anywhere but Riku's eyes.

He cupped Sora's chin his, and forced Sora to look at him. "Sora, listen. I promise you, that you will see the night once again. I promise you."

"Okay, Riku," Sora said, looking in the boy's eyes. The aqua color was so … pretty, like the ocean that he once saw from the balcony at his old home. The only time he had ever seen outside before he had run away. A person could get lost in those eyes, if they weren't careful.

"Come on, let's go inside. We need to sleep," Riku said, taking Sora's hand and leading him inside. They went to his sleeping bag, and they climbed in. Sora looked at Riku, and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek before snuggling up against his warmth.

"Riku …" Sora whispered as he fell into a dark sleep.

* * *

_Sora felt blood running down all over his body, and his hair was matted with the red, sticky fluid. He was curled up in a little ball, waiting for this torture to stop. He felt whiplashes over and over again, leaving marks and cuts all over him. He knew that these were going to turn into nasty scars. He had once again refused to have sex, and now he was getting 'punished' for not doing so. The crimson blood was starting to pool around him, and it looked like he was wearing clothes of blood. He was otherwise completely naked._

_Sora had started whimpering in pain, and he just wished that it would stop. "Stop!" Sora cried. "Please, just stop!"_

"_Enough, Sephiroth," said the voice that had been haunting him for all of these years. "I think he's learned his lesson." The whiplashes stopped, and Sora curled into a tighter ball._

"_Yes, my Master," Sephiroth said as he left the room, Sora's blood fresh on his whip. _

"_Maybe tomorrow you will be more cooperative, hmm?" Ansem scoffed at the boy who was close to drowning in his own blood. Sora's stepfather left, leaving the helpless boy to just lie there, covered in the crimson liquid. Sora didn't even know how he had survived with this constant loss of blood, but somehow he was._

"_Why … why was I born into a world like this? God, why can't I die? Why?" Sora cried mournfully, as he passed out from the blood loss. _

_But as he was passed out, he heard a far away voice calling out to him, whispering that everything was going to be okay, and that he was safe now …

* * *

_

Riku woke up to whimpering and somebody clutching him tight. He sleepily opened his eyes, and saw Sora squeezing him tightly, whimpering as if he was pain. He sat up, gathering the younger boy in his arms and lap. He murmured soothing words in his ear, trying to make Sora feel better.

"Shh, it's okay. Everything is going to be all right. You are safe now. You're safe with me. I won't let him hurt you anymore," Riku whispered. The younger boy quieted down, and wrapped his arms around Riku's neck. "It's okay Sora. I'm here. You don't have to worry."

"Riku … Riku, where are you? I want my Riku …" Sora muttered, squeezing Riku tighter. "Riku …"

"It's okay, I'm here. Sora, wake up. I'm here, leave that nightmare world, and wake up," Riku whispered, shaking the boy slightly.

"Riku?" Sora whimpered as he woke up. "Is that you?"

"Hey there, sleepyhead. Are you okay? It sounded like you were having a pretty nasty nightmare."

"I'm fine now, Riku," Sora said, hugging the silver haired boy tightly. Riku rubbed his back until the brunette let go. They both lay down in the sleeping bag, and Riku wrapped his arms around Sora's waist. "Riku … thanks."

"Sora, I promise you. I will always protect you," Riku whispered, and they both went back to sleep.

* * *

_The Next Day:_

They both awoke the next morning, and gathered up everything in the cave. Afterwards, they all assembled in front of the cave.

"Okay, so today is the day. I'm going to go into the mountains and create the avalanche, creating a big enough distraction for you guys to get in. I want you boys to take care of each other, and if something goes wrong, meet back here, okay?" Yuffie said as she left the cave. "Be careful, and good luck!"

"Sora, come on," Riku said as he started up the pathway to the hidden entrance. They had just arrived, when no sooner did they here a loud rumbling. The ground started to shake and Sora and Riku entered the giant castle. They hid in the shadows, and watched all of the Heartless relocate to the area of the rock slide. They silently moved through the hall ways, watching for any Heartless.

They slipped into the armory, and got a sword for Riku. Next, they wandered up to the next floor, and then the next. They eventually reached the top floor, before ducking behind the curtains.

To Riku, the stench was almost impossible, and it made him want to gag when they passed a couple of rooms on the way up. One had looked like it was a torture chamber, and the other room seemed to have a big bed in it, and lots of ropes. That floor was the coldest in particular. They were on the last floor, and they passed one room that stunk the most. Riku assumed that was the room that had Ansem, and they heard him walking towards the door.

So now they were behind the curtains as they watched Ansem open the door and walk to the balcony, observing the scene below as Yuffie kept the avalanche going. They watched Ansem send Sephiroth after whoever was causing the continuous rock slides. But just then, a search ghost appeared in front of them, and scratched Sora on the chest. He couldn't stop himself before he yelped out in pain. Ansem went over to the curtain, pulling it back as he saw the two boys standing there.

"I thought I smelled a rat!" Ansem yelled before grabbing Sora roughly and throwing him on the ground. "And look, you brought me a friend to play with! How sweet! He's a handsome one, alright. He should be great 'entertainment'!"

"No way!" Riku yelled as he jumped out of Ansem's grasp. "You aren't getting me or Sora, you ugly pig!"

"Well, I believe that is the first time anyone has ever insulted me. You are going to regret being the first and last!" Ansem bellowed at the boy who was in a fighting stance. Sora got up and stood next to him, his sword and shuriken at the ready. Ansem charged at the boys, and they both jumped out of the way. Sora threw a shuriken, landing soundly in his back.

He only looked phased for a second, before pulling it out and throwing right back at him. Sora blocked it with his sword, but missed the fire spell he fired immediately afterward, the force sending him into the wall.

"Sora!" Riku yelled before rushing over to his fallen friend.

"Don't worry about me! Pay attention to him!" Sora screamed. Riku looked, and jumped out of the way just as a blizzard spell hit. Riku ran around him, and jumped behind him and cut a slash down his back.

"Insolent brat!" Ansem yelled, before sending out a black orb of energy that slammed both Sora and Riku into a wall. "Now die!" Ansem said as he aimed his hand at Riku's body. "Dark Firaga!"

The ball of blue fire headed straight for Riku, and he closed his eyes, waiting for the impact. "Nooo!" he heard Sora scream, and he felt Sora slam into his body. He opened his eyes, and saw a motionless Sora in his arms, his eyes shut tight. Blue surrounded his body, and Riku quickly realized that he had jumped in front of the spell, protecting him.

"Stupid boy," Ansem sneered. "Now you can both die!"

"No!" Riku yelled. He aimed his own hand at Ansem and whispered, "Dark Firaga!" A ball of blue fire erupted from his hand, hitting Ansem on the chest.

He staggered to his feet, and started to call upon the most powerful magic known to man. "Dark Ultim-,"

"W – wait!" Sora cried. Sora crawled out of Riku's lap, and went towards Ansem. "Wait. If I go with you, promise me that you will let Riku go. Promise me!" Sora screamed.

"Sora," Riku cried, but the brunette only put up a hand to silence him.

"Fine. Come with me quietly, and I'll let your annoying little friend here go," Ansem scoffed, with a glare towards Riku.

"Okay, but can I say goodbye to Riku first?" Sora asked.

"Fine but make it fast," Ansem said, standing on the balcony. Sora crawled over to Riku, who was on the ground shocked. He hugged him tightly, whispering apologies.

"But … Sora … you can't!" Riku cried.

"I couldn't live if you died, Riku. At least this way you can live, even without me," Sora said mournfully. "I'll miss you, Riku. Goodbye," he said as he gave Riku a kiss on the lips. He walked towards Ansem without a second glance. They started walking down the hall, and a liquid started to land on the floor. Sora took one last glance back, and Riku saw tears flowing down the boy's cheeks. Riku felt his heart tighten in his chest.

"Sora …" Riku cried. And for the first time in his life, Riku actually cried. The tears started down his face, making his clothes wet. He heard a yelp from the bedroom that Ansem had dragged him into. "Sora!" Riku cried. Ansem walked through the door, locking it behind him. "What did you do to Sora?"

_**I looked away, then I looked back at you.  
**__**You tried to say, things that you can't undo.  
**__**If I had my way, I'd never get over you.  
**_**_Today's the day, I pray that we make it through._**

_**Make it through the fall  
**__**Make it through it all**_

_**And I don't wanna fall to pieces, I just wanna sit and stare at **__**you.  
**__**I don't wanna talk about it  
**_**_And I don't want a conversation, I just wanna cry in front of _**_**you.  
**__**I don't wanna talk about it, cuz' I'm in love with you.**_

"I killed him," Ansem said with an evil grin.

"What?" Riku said as his eyes grew wide and his face drained of all color. He felt as if a void in his chest had just been ripped out at the words the man spoke.

"Guards, take this boy to the cliff, and throw him off, please," Ansem said, and two Heartless came and gathered up Riku, leading him outside. They took him to the cliff, and held him there, as Ansem came up to him. "In what world did you ever think you could defeat me? Don't worry. I'll have plenty of 'fun' with Sora," Ansem said, smirking at the defeated boy.

_**You're the only one, I'd be with till the end.  
**_**_When I come undone, you bring me back again._**

_**Back under the stars  
**__**Back into your arms**_

**_And I don't wanna fall to pieces, I just wanna sit and stare at _**_**you.  
**__**I don't wanna talk about it  
**_**_And I don't want a conversation, I just wanna cry in front of _**_**you.  
**__**I don't wanna talk about it, cuz' I'm in love with you.**_

_**Wanna know who you are.  
**__**Wanna know where to start.  
**__**I wanna know what this means.**_

_**Wanna know how you feel.  
**__**Wanna know what is real.  
**__**I wanna know everything...everything.**_

"Sora's … alive?" Riku asked, hope in his voice.

"Yes, but it's not like you will be much longer," he said with a devilish smile. "Drop him," he ordered. The two Heartless that were holding him dropped him, and a search ghost pushed him over the edge.

"Sora … I'm sorry," he said, as he closed his eyes, waiting for the collision of him and the rocks that Yuffie said were below …

**_I don't wanna fall to pieces, I just wanna sit and stare at you.  
_**_**I don't wanna talk about it  
**_**_And I don't want a conversation, I just wanna cry in front of _**_**you.  
**__**I don't wanna talk about it  
**_**_And I don't wanna fall to pieces, I just wanna sit and stare at _**_**you.  
**__**I don't wanna talk about it  
**_**_And I don't want a conversation, I just wanna cry in front of _**_**you.  
**_**_And I don't wanna talk about it, cuz' I'm in love with you... I'm  
_****_in love with you, Cuz I'm in love with you… I'm in love with _****_you...  
_****_I'm in love with you...

* * *

_**

**Warning! Next scenes are very graphic! **

Sora woke up and shivered as he felt a cold blast of air blow across his body. Bleary eyed, he tried to sit up, but soon realized that he couldn't. He yanked and yanked, but his hands were tied above his head too tightly. He blinked the sleepiness in his eyes away, and looked down. He saw that he wasn't wearing a shirt, but at least he still had his pants on. Panicking he tried everything he could to get free, but it was in vain. He looked down and noticed that his legs weren't tied, but he still couldn't move them.

"Why can't I move my legs?" Sora yelled through gritted teeth, trying desperately to move them.

"Because I put a paralyzing spell on them," a voice that Sora knew very well said from behind him as his eyes grew wide. "You can't move of your own free will, making you a perfect target."

"Perfect target? For what?" Sora asked, trying to keep the panic from his voice. He watched the man take off his cloak, gloves, and outer shirt.

"My dear boy, you know exactly for what," Ansem said, an evil grin spreading across his ugly features.

"No, stay away," Sora screamed, struggling violently against the restrictions placed on him, as understanding dawned on him. "Don't you dare touch me!"

"My, my, you've gotten a little resistant, have we? Well, we'll fix that, won't we, my son," Ansem mocked, taking off his shirt, exposing his large muscles and tanned skin. He walked over to a frightened Sora, and said, "Now stop struggling, and this will be easier."

"No! Leave me alone! Let me go right now, and let me go back to Riku!" Sora demanded, still trying to break his bonds.

"Silly, silly boy," Ansem scoffed, straddling Sora, who was shaking with fear. "By now, your Riku is probably dead. You see, I lied. When I said if you give yourself up, he would go free, I wasn't telling the truth. As soon as he was out of view, I let my henchmen take care of him. In other words, your friend is dead, and you won't ever see him again."

"N-no," Sora said starting to give up hope as tears started to form in his eyes. "No, it can't be true!"

"Oh, it is. I watched them throw him off the cliff myself. He said your name right before he went down. How … sickening," Ansem sneered. "Now hold still." Sora stopped resisting and let Ansem have his way, because to him, if there was no Riku, there was no point in living. "That's a good boy," the man said, grinning devilishly at the boy whose dreams and heart he had just crushed.

He bent over Sora, and kissed a slow trail up Sora's motionless body, finally landing at Sora's mouth. He kissed it roughly, making Sora's lips bruised and sore as tears ran down the poor boy's face. He didn't make a sound, and didn't resist. He slipped his tongue in Sora's mouth, exploring every little bit of his mouth. After a while he stopped, and started licking Sora's chest. He sucked one of the boy's nipples to his mouth, and bit down roughly, making Sora whimper in pain. Pleased with this reaction, he started to lick it, soothing the red area, before biting it again without warning. The younger boy cried out at the sting, but otherwise didn't move as the tears kept flowing steadily, still lamenting the loss of Riku.

After doing the same process to the other one, he got off of Sora and went over to a box. He pulled out something, then went back and straddled Sora once again. He pushed whatever was hidden in his hand against Sora's skin, making him shiver. Whatever it was, it was _cold_. Ansem rubbed it all over Sora, making him cold and wet all over. The dungeon he was in was freezing, so Sora was soon shivering as what he recognized as ice melted on Sora's soft skin.

"Getting cold, my little pet?" Ansem asked with a smirk. "Let me help you." He pulled out a match and lit it, then held it against Sora's chest. He screamed out in agony as the match burned him, and kept screaming as it eventually went out. "Aww, did that hurt?" Ansem mocked as he bent over and licked the burnt spot with his tongue. Sora was breathing heavily, and whimpered and sobbed as the pain started to make the spot throb. He kissed the spot, and then moved lower to Sora's pants. He pulled them down, leaving only Sora's boxers.

"No, no, don't," Sora pleaded, but knowing in his heart that it was useless. As he thought, Ansem didn't listen, and pulled down the cloth, exposing Sora's soft, creamy white skin. Sora's sobs increased, and the tears kept coming, but faster and harder. He started rubbing circles on Sora's thigh with his tongue, making the boy whine at the strange sensation this caused. He was scared, and he couldn't see any way out as he knew that Ansem was about to steal his innocence. "Stop! Please, just stop," Sora attempted one last time through sobs.

"No," was all he replied as he started undoing his own belt. "I have waited to long for this. Today, you will me mine." But just then, the door slammed open, and a tall figure stood in the doorway.

"He said 'stop' you son-of-a-bitch," said the figure, his voice dangerously low. Sora looked up, and his eyes lit up as he saw a dripping wet Riku standing there with a vicious look in his eye, holding on to a sword with a death grip. "Leave him alone, you bastard!"

* * *

**Author's Ranting:**

Okay, so how was that? Was it good? I thought this chapter was very emotional and fluffy. I hope you really liked it. In the next chapter you will find out how Riku survived. Yays! I got over my writers block! By the way, I don't own that song either, Avril Lavigne does, so there! Now you can't sue me! I think that this story is almost done. But don't worry, I'm already brainstorming a sequel! I'm going to end this story sad, and then have a happy ending in the sequel. I'm open to ideas for the ending, if anybody has some! Otherwise I'll use one of the ideas I already have! So, review and Ja Ne!


	5. Saved By Love

**Silver Haired Savior**

**Saved By Love**

**Date Started:** 7/9/05  
**Date Finished:** 7/15/05

**Author's Ramblings:**  
Hey, y'all! How you been? I've been so busy this week, I barely got this chapter done! I know that it's kind of short, but I tried to put in a ton of fluff for ya! I know that the story needed a little bit more of it, so I tried. Don't hate me if you don't like it! Riku gets his revenge in this chapter! Yays! Thanks to all of the people who left reviews! A shout out to Merodi Tora, sweatthangpaige, DieChan, AnimeDutchess, BLACKSHEEP, Tala and Kai Lover, Azad Sound, starryskydragon, and last but not least Yuna! You guys all rock out loud! I'm happy to announce that this story will be coming to an end soon, but have no fear! I will be making a sequel to this story, and that at least will have a happy ending. I already have an idea of what I want the ending to turn out like, and the feelings that I want it to project. So please look for the sequel, otherwise you won't get the full story! So, enjoy!

* * *

"Stop! Please, just stop," Riku heard through a door. It sounded like Sora, and he was in pain. He burst through the door, and was shocked at what he saw. 

Riku took in the scene that lay before him, and he was instantly filled with murderous hatred. He saw **his **Sora tied up on a bed, completely naked, while Ansem was straddling him and taking off his pants. He could see the tears that were running down Sora's swollen and red face, and the fear in his eyes as the evil man tortured him. He saw the burn mark that marred the creamy white skin of Sora's chest. He heard whimpers and sobs coming from the younger boy, and by now Riku would do anything to kill the evil man who made Sora like this.

No," was all Ansem replied. "I have waited to long for this. Today, you will be mine."

"He said 'stop' you son-of-a-bitch," Riku said. He saw Sora look up, and his eyes lit up as he saw the dripping wet Riku standing there with a vicious look in his eye, holding on to his sword with a death grip. "Leave him alone, you bastard!" he yelled. "And get off of him!"

"Riku!" Sora cried.

"You sniveling brat! How in the world did you survive that fall!" Ansem bellowed. He got off of the crying boy, and grinned maliciously at the boy standing there. "What's wrong? Don't like the way I'm playing with my new toy?"

"Sora is NOT _your _toy!" Riku yelled as he pointed his sword at Ansem.

"You lied to me, you sick ogre!" Sora screamed at the man. "Let me go!"

"Shut up, you little monster!" he told the boy, as he slapped him.

"Make me!" Sora said defiantly.

"I said shut up, you worthless piece of trash!" he repeated. "I don't see why anybody would love or care about a stupid orphan," he scoffed as he looked down at the boy's hurt eyes.

"Get away from him, you evil bastard!" Riku said, taking a step closer, sword still raised at the man.

"What don't like me near him?" he mocked. "Well what would you say if I did this," he said, and he punched Sora in the stomach. As Sora cried out, Riku felt his heart tighten, as if he was the one who had gotten hurt, not Sora. "Oh, did I hit a weak spot? Let's try that again, shall we?" he said, and punched Sora in his privates. Sora screamed in pain, and Riku again felt his heart clench painfully.

"You just made the biggest mistake of your life!" Riku screamed as he lunged at the off guard man. He sliced a hole in his stomach, making him buckle his knees at the surprise attack. Riku quickly took this opportunity to cut him on the back a couple of times before he regained his wits.

"It looks like you just made the biggest mistake of yours," he said, standing up. He summoned a sword, and the two started to fight. Ansem struck out at Riku, and he parried it, and then hit at Ansem. Riku's attack hit, making a gash in the man's arm. The man stood up, and then lunged at Riku again. This time his attack hit scratching Riku's leg. He jumped back, not caring about the gash in his leg. He was too angry at Ansem to care.

He lunged at the man, and cut his leg and other arm. By now the man was a bloody mess, but that didn't stop him. Ansem slashed at Riku, and the boy blocked the assault. He grabbed a blanket off of the bed Sora was trapped on, and threw it over Riku's head. Riku struggled with the blanket, and he finally got it off. He looked over at Ansem, and was shocked at what he saw. Ansem had gone over to the frightened brunette, and was holding the sword to his tender neck. Riku froze, not wanting Sora to get hurt.

"Sora!" Riku cried.

"Take another step, and I will slit his throat," Ansem said, a devilish grin spread across his features. "That's a good boy," Ansem said as he slid his free hand down Sora's naked body. It finally landed on Sora's crotch, and he started molesting him.

Riku heard Sora whimper, and saw the fear in his eyes. "Sora!" he cried again. Ansem pressed the sword to Sora's skin, making crimson blood start to run down his body. That did it. Riku snapped. He leapt at Ansem, and before the evil man could react, he had him on the ground, pinned underneath his sword.

"You can't kill me!" Ansem said, a grin spreading across his ugly face.

"Oh, and why is that?" Riku asked, pressing the sword closer to his neck.

"Because then you'll never know how to save Sora from the poison spell that I've implanted in his body! Look, you fool!" Ansem said, pointing at Sora. Riku looked over at the boy, who had his eyes closed. His face was sweaty and contorted with pain. The blood was running down his body, and he was sweating all over.

"You monster! How could you do any of this to your own flesh and blood!" Riku asked, enraged. The sword was now dangerously close to the man's neck, and if Riku pressed any more, he would start to draw blood.

"Simple, really. I want to be ruler of his kingdom. If he's alive, I can't be the true ruler," Ansem said, unafraid of the sword.

"You truly are a sick, twisted monster! You put Sora through all of this torture, fear, and pain just because you wanted power and money! You disgust me, you pig!" Riku screamed, his body shaking in anger.

"Disgust you I may, but if you don't do something soon, your poor little Sora will be dead! Mwuhahahahahaha!" Ansem said, mocking the outraged boy.

"Shut up, you bastard!" Riku said, and then slit the man's throat. The man made no sound, and Riku just left him there, dead. He rushed over to Sora, and cut the ropes holding him to the bed. He found Sora's pants and boxers and put them on the boy's frail body. He slung Sora on his back, and carried him out of the castle. The brunette was breathing heavily, and Riku was truly scared. He ran back to the cave, where he found Yuffie waiting for them.

"Hey, guys – What's wrong with Sora?" Yuffie said as the boys came in. He laid Sora on the ground, and tried to think of a way to make the poison stop.

"Ansem poisoned Sora before I could get to him! Now he's dieing and it's all my fault!" Riku cried, freaking out. By now he was a nervous wreck, and he was starting to lose his wits.

"Well, I think I know what the cure is. Do what you did before!" Yuffie said as she left the cave.

"What I did before? What was that?" Riku asked panicking.

"Ri – ku …" Sora cried. Then Riku knew what he had to do. He leaned down and kissed the brunette, making all of the pain go away. Sora's breathing started to return to normal, and his tense muscles started to relax. Riku didn't want to break the kiss, but he was human, and like all humans, he had to get air. He broke off the kiss, and let both himself and Sora get air. But the younger boy obviously didn't like this, and as soon as they had gotten enough air, he pulled Riku towards him and kissed him again. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora and pulled him closer. But just then a certain ninja walked in, and saw the scene that the two were making.

"Okay, break it up!" Yuffie yelled, making the two boys jump. Riku quickly let go of Sora, and they sat there looking innocent. "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to do that later."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked, reaching for the bags that they had left there. He found a light blue shirt, and slipped it on.

"I mean, we have to get you to a safe home. But first we have to go to the city so that we can gather supplies," Yuffie said, gathering up the packs.

"Wait. Are we leaving now!" Riku asked.

"Yes. We have to get Sora and you as far away from the castle as possible. You know how Sephiroth came after me when I started to cause the avalanche? Yeah, well I almost defeated him, but he disappeared when he heard a loud scream from the castle. Since he disappeared, that means he is badly wounded, but he could attack us at any time. Besides, there is an old friend down the road that we should meet. So come on," Yuffie said as she picked up all of the bags.

"Okay," Riku said as he stood up. Sora tried to stand up, but he immediately fell down afterwards. He tried again, but got the same result. He looked sheepish, and tried once more, but to no avail.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about the paralyzing spell he put on me," Sora said quietly. Riku walked over put Sora on his back, giving him a piggy back ride. He followed Yuffie up the trail, enjoying the warmth of the younger boy on his back. "Hey, Riku, Ansem said that he threw you over a cliff. How did you live?" Sora asked as he held onto Riku.

"Oh, that. Well after you left, he had a couple of Heartless take me to the cliff. Then a search ghost pushed me over, and I thought I was a goner …

* * *

Flashback: 

_Riku closed his eyes and waited for the rocks that Yuffie said were below. But as he hit the bottom, it wasn't rocks he felt._

'_Water?' Riku thought. He swam through the liquid, and burst through the top. Yep, it was water. It turns out that there was a small lake down here, not many rocks. If Riku had been over just a few more feet, he would have died, because that's where the shore was. Riku swam to the shore, lucky that he had cheated death. He climbed out, and found his sword, which had been pushed off with him. _

_He looked for an exit, and found a small door. He walked through it, finding himself in a dimly lit corridor. He climbed a bunch of steps, and came out in the woods, a little ways from the castle. He headed towards the castle, and entered. He had this feeling in his stomach, and he knew that something bad was happening to Sora. He ran through the castle, and was halfway up, when he heard a loud screaming ring throughout the castle._

_Riku rushed up the stairs, knowing that Sora was scared and in pain. He heard sobs and whimpers coming through the castle. "Stop! Please just stop," he heard Sora cry …_

End Flashback

* * *

"So, that's how you lived," Sora said, squeezing Riku tighter. "Oh, I'm sorry that I caused you so much pain," Sora said. 

"Sora, never apologize for having somebody else care about you. If it wasn't for you, I probably would have died. You are the reason that I kept fighting, kept trying to survive against the odds," Riku said.

"Okay, Riku," Sora said, burying his face in Riku's shirt.

"Hey guys look," Yuffie said, pointing to a cave up ahead. They walked over to it, and when they looked inside, they saw Aerith there. She had a big pack of things, and it looked like she had camped out in the cave.

"Hello, boys," she said. She stood up, and took Sora off of Riku's back, and set him down on the ground next to her. "Riku, what happened to all of you? You all have cuts and scratches on you!" Aerith said as she looked at the big gash on Riku's leg. "Come here," she said as she took out a bandage and some cleaning supplies. She cleaned the gash, careful not to make it hurt, as Sora and Riku told their story. She wrapped up the cut, and then got out a couple of small potions. She handed one to Riku, and when he drank it, it made the pain in his leg go away. She handed the other potion to Sora, after hearing that he got a paralyzing spell put on him.

"Um, what is it?" Sora asked as he accepted the potion.

"It's a paralyze heal," Aerith said, as she bandaged the cut on Sora's neck. "There, all better. I'm sorry I didn't come meet you earlier, but we were swamped with work! There was a big flu bug going around, and a ton of people needed medicines. You guys are lucky you left when you did," Aerith said, putting away the supplies that she brought with her. "It sounds like you guys had quite an adventure! As long as you guys are alright."

"Tomorrow we have to move them to a safer place, right Aerith?" Yuffie asked.

"Yes, that's right. I think I know where to send you guys. Have either of you ever been to Traverse Town?"

"Traverse Town? Never been there," Riku said, deep in thought.

"Well, I have a temporary home there, and I think that it will be enough to hide you until we can either kill or arrest Sephiroth," Aerith said. "Tomorrow you will take a ship there, and then go to the small home in the third district. Leon, Cloud, Yuffie, and I will accompany you, but only I will be able to stay, because we heard that Sephiroth might be going back to Hallow Bastion, so we will be tracking him there," Aerith said as she got out some food. "So, who's hungry?"

"I am!" Sora said as she started the fire. They ate sandwiches and some vegetables that grew around there.

* * *

_That night:_

After dinner they decided that they should probably get some sleep because they had a lot of ground to travel tomorrow. They all set out their sleeping bags and lay down. Riku waited until he was sure that Aerith and Yuffie were asleep, before he quietly got up from his sleeping bag, and woke up Sora. He led the younger boy outside, and into the woods, and found a clearing. He stood there for a moment, looking at a very confused brunette.

"R-Riku, what are we –," Sora started, but was cut off as Riku put a finger to his lips. The silver haired boy just hugged Sora, and held him for a moment. Sora leaned into him, breathing in the scent of roses. He held him for awhile longer, before he finally spoke.

"Sora, I may not have shown it when I was fighting, but I was scared. I was scared that I was going to lose you. I don't know what I would have done then, if I had lost you. I was truly scared," Riku said, squeezing Sora tighter.

"Riku I –,"

"Shhh, Sora, don't talk. Just let me hold you a little longer," Riku said, suppressing the tears in his eyes. After awhile, Riku finally released Sora and hung his head, letting his hair cover his eyes. "Sora, I always want us to stay connected, even if we are far apart," he said, reaching into his pocket. "Somebody very special gave this to me when I was very young," Riku said, remembering his mother. "And now I want you to have it." He pulled out a small box and held it out to Sora.

Sora took it, and when he opened it, he let out a small gasp of surprise. He held in his hand a small crown necklace on a beautiful silver chain. It shimmered in the moonlight, the silver glistening. Sora was shocked that Riku had given this to him, and he was still standing there staring at it, when Riku gently took the necklace out of the box. He undid the clasp and reached around Sora's neck and fastened the necklace around him.

The younger boy looked into aquamarine eyes, and the proximity of their faces was just too much to bear. The cute little brunette pulled Riku closer, making their lips meet. Riku was surprised; Sora had never done anything so bold before. Sora opened his mouth, letting Riku's tongue explore the insides of his mouth. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora's waist, and they just stood like that, holding each other. To Riku, Sora tasted like chocolate and coffee, and to Sora, Riku tasted like sweet peppermint.

And to both of their disliking, they heard a loud howl coming from somewhere in the distance. They broke off their kiss, realizing that they were still in the forest. Sora and Riku gasped for air, licking their sore, bruised lips, trying to get the last taste of each other. They walked back to the cave, and they both got into Riku's sleeping bag. Sora wrapped his arms around Riku and kissed him one last time before he fell asleep. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora and pulled him closer before he too, fell asleep. And they stayed like that, in each other's arms.

* * *

_The Next Day:_

Sora woke up to the delicious smell of cooking food, and Sora sat up. Riku woke up soon afterwards, ripping him from a dream of him and Sora in a shower … The younger boy got up and went over to where the food was being cooked. He helped himself to some toasted bread and cheese, eating happily.

"So, did you sleep well?" Aerith asked with a small giggle.

"Yep," Riku replied, because Sora's mouth was full of food.

"Well, hurry up and eat, because we have to get moving soon," Aerith said as she cleaned up the cave. They ate quickly, and gathered up what was left in the cave, and they started on the road, Riku and Sora hand in hand, while Yuffie and Aerith chatted up ahead. The two boys traveled in silence, letting their eyes tell each other things that words just couldn't begin to tell. They continued on the road, and they reached the dojo at about dusk. They continued down the mountain, everyone wanting to get home as soon as they could. Yuffie was going to stay with Aerith, and Sora was going to stay at Riku's. They arrived in town at about midnight, and paused a moment as they pulled themselves out of the underground pathway into the alleyway.

"Okay, everyone meet at Leon and Cloud's house tomorrow at noon, okay?" Yuffie said as she started off, grabbing Aerith's wrist.

"Everybody get some sleep! And be ready to go tomorrow!" Aerith called as Yuffie tugged her along. Riku and Sora walked back to Riku's penthouse apartment. They arrived in the large apartment exhausted, and they both decided that they needed showers. Sora went first, and came out smelling like fresh roses. Riku went in next, and he too, smelled like roses. He went entered his own bedroom, and found the younger boy laying there, asleep. Riku walked over to the bedside, careful not to wake him.

Riku looked down at the sleeping brunette, whose soft lips looked so kissable when pouting, and instantly wished that he could make those lips his. Riku leaned down and brushed his own lips across the boy's, content with that small contact. He closed his eyes and tried to stand up straight, but was immensely surprised when he felt two arms wrap around his neck, holding his head close to the brunette's.

Riku opened his eyes and was immediately confronted by two shining orbs the color of the ocean. The boy's grip tightened, and their lips met, each kissing each other with a lust and a love so long denied them. They both knew that they were completely ready to give each other what they wanted and they knew that this night was completely and totally theirs.

Riku quickly regained his senses, and wrapped two strong arms around Sora. He sat up, bringing the other boy with him. The younger boy's hands tangled themselves in Riku's moonlight colored hair, finally being able to feel him like this for the first time. Riku's hands wandered down Sora's back, and finally reached the hem of the boy's shirt. He gently let his hands wander underneath it, causing a gasp to escape the boy's swollen and bruised lips. Riku took this opportunity to let his tongue slip into Sora's mouth, which the younger boy openly welcomed.

Riku's hands continued its journey, touching him in ways Sora hadn't even thought about, while his tongue explored every little bit of the cave that was Sora's mouth. He a low groan escaped from the brunette's throat. All of this was new to Sora; it was his first venture into the lands of love, lust, and passion.

* * *

**Here is where a lemon would be if this website didn't have morals! If you want me to send it to you, email me or leave a review telling me!

* * *

**

_The Next Day:_

Sora awoke the next morning, and snuggled up closer to the warmth that was holding him so sweetly. He sat like that for a while, smelling the scent of roses, sweat, and sex. After long time, Riku started to awake, and Sora reluctantly pulled away from the silver haired boy. The older boy sat up and smiled down at the cute little brunette.

"Pretty wild night, huh?" Riku said, a seductive grin on his face.

"Yup," Sora replied, giving off his trademark smile. Riku pulled Sora closer, and rested his head on the other boy's. Sora liked that, and wrapped his arms around Riku. They stayed liked that for a few minutes before Riku finally decided to get up. Sora looked at the clock. By now it was 8:13, and they had to be ready to leave at 11:45 to get to Cloud and Leon's house. Riku got dressed, putting the clothes that he had tossed aside last night in the hamper, and went out into the living room. Sora eventually got up too, and got dressed, then went out into the living room where he saw Riku pulling out stuff for breakfast.

Sora walked over and helped set out plates and silverware, then went to the bathroom. He took a quick shower, just rinsing off the sweat he had accumulated through the night. When he came out, breakfast was ready, and he went over and sat across from Riku. He dug in, this being his first decent breakfast in about a week. The two ate in silence, and when Riku finished, he went and took a shower. Sora sat on the couch and turned on the T.V. He managed to watch the last fifteen minutes of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy before Riku came out of the shower.

"Come on, Sora, we should pack a little before we leave," Riku said as he went into his room. Sora turned off the T.V., and followed, and saw Riku pack a couple of sketchbooks, and some clothes. Riku turned to Sora and threw a bag at him. "Here," he said. "You can put some clothes and stuff in here. Feel free to go through the closet in your room. I hardly ever wear the stuff in there.

"Okay, Riku," Sora said and then went into the room. He selected a few clothes, and emptied the things in his old bag into the new one, because it was in better condition. He finished, then went into the living room, where he waited for Riku to come out. He looked at the clock, and by this time it was 9:47. Riku came out with a full bag at about 10:00. He sat down next to Sora, and turned the T.V. back on. He flipped through the channels, searching for a show to watch. He finally ended on a movie called Harry Potter, and set down the remote on the coffee table.

Sora watched Riku, his eyes seeming distant and thoughtful as he watched the movie before him. 'I wonder what he's thinking about,' Sora thought as he stared at the silver haired boy.

"What are you staring at, you weirdo?" Riku asked jokingly, snapping the brunette out of his thoughts.

"Nothing," Sora said with a grin. He scooted closer to Riku and rested his head on his shoulder. Riku put an arm around the younger boy and held him as they watched the movie.

* * *

_That Afternoon:_

Riku and Sora arrived at Leon's house and knocked loudly on the door. They heard a muffled "Come in," and the two boys entered the house. Inside they saw Yuffie, Aerith, Leon, and Cloud there, talking. All had a bag of some sort, but Aerith's pink one was the largest. The two teens pulled their bags inside, and waited for the adults to finish talking.

"So, ready to go?" Cloud asked.

"Yup," Riku said, patting his small suitcase.

"Alright, let's go," Leon said, as he walked out the door with his bag slung over his shoulder. Everybody followed, and they Sora and Riku got into Riku's car.

"Are you sure you don't want to ride with us, Leon?" Riku asked out the window with a smirk.

"I wouldn't ride with you if you paid me," Leon replied as he got into his car.

"Fine, but you'll miss out on all of the fun!" Riku said as he started the car. Sora gave Riku a confused look, and he said, "I'll tell you on the way."

* * *

They arrived at the airport and they borded the gummi ship at 2:15. They waited for the ship to take off, and eventually, it did. They had been on the voyage for half an hour, when Sora said, "Riku, I'm tired." For some reason, air travel made him drowsy. 

Riku, whose seat was right next to Sora's said, "Well why don't you take a nap?"

"Okay," Sora replied, and laid his head on Riku's lap. He snuggled against Riku before closing his eyes, and smelled Riku's scent, clutching the necklace that Riku had given him. The older boy just smiled down at his little angel, and started stroking the boy's soft, luscious hair. He ran his fingers through the brown spiky locks, and relaxed against the seat. He took out a sketchbook and pencil, and started drawing Sora, who looked so cute when he was sleeping. He drew a few more pictures afterwards, then finally decided that he needed a nap as well. He leaned against Sora, and fell asleep. But before he drifted off, he could've sworn he heard Aerith saying, "Aww, how cute!"

* * *

**Author's Ramblings:**  
Okay, so enough fluff for you? I liked this chapter, and I wish I could have made it longer. Maybe I'll redo it later when I'm not so busy. Like I said, this fic will probably have a few more chapters, and then the big finale. Then the sequal! Yays! I hope the ending to this story makes you feel what I feel when I picture it in my head. Well anyways, review and Ja Ne. All of your reviews make me feel so special! 


	6. The Price of Your Love

**Silver Haired Savior**

**The Price of Your Love**

**Disclaimer:** I never have and probably never will own Kingdom Hearts. I'm too cheap/poor to pay a lawyer.

**Author's Ranting:**

Okay, so here's the next chapter! It has a lot of fluff, and stuff in the beginning, and I feel that I should warn you: Enjoy it while you can! After this, things start to get … weird to say the least. I can't tell you anymore, 'cause it might ruin the story for you. Sorry this took so long to come out, because I was really busy! But to make up for it, I made it really, really long! This chapter is dedicated to Tala and Kai Lover, sweatthangpaige, AnimeDutchess, starryskydragon, Jennavive Craindre, Ayeshagirl, F-chan1, Kori Tenshi, Yuna, Inin2046, and MerodiPansa. I wasn't expecting so many reviews! You all are so great, and get cookies and cyber Sora Snacks!

* * *

_On the gummi ship:_

"Riku …" Sora mumbled as he shifted on Riku's lap. Riku woke up at the sound of his name being called by his boyfriend, and looked down at the sleeping brunette. He checked his watch, and saw that they still had half an hour until they arrived in Traverse Town. He sat up a little straighter, and started stroking the brown locks in his lap. They were silky smooth as the strands ran through his fingers. "Riku … I want Riku …" Sora mumbled again.

"Sora," Riku whispered as he started rubbing the boy's back. He smiled lovingly at the brunette and his pouts as he clung to Riku's waist. He bent over and kissed the top of the brunettes head, smelling the rose scented locks. The silver haired boy shifted Sora slightly, making him more comfortable. He watched the sleeping boy, taking in the soft lips, soft hair, and well defined body, and wished that he was in bed again. He hugged Sora, never knowing of the plot unfolding at his destination …

* * *

Half an hour later they arrived and Riku woke Sora out of his peaceful slumber. He woke up in a daze, and sat up as the plane landed in the recently added Gummi port in the new 4th district of Traverse Town. They got off of the Gummi ship, and walked outside, revealing a lit up town. Sora looked around in wonderment, taking in all of the sights and sounds. The musky air hung heavy, and he didn't know why, but that wasn't the thing on his mind. He had never seen a city this large, and he wanted to go exploring all of it.

He grasped Riku's hand tightly as they walked the streets, Leon, Cloud, Aerith, and Yuffie behind them. They walked along the streets filled with people shopping and talking, living their own lives. They wandered through the second district, Sora looking in every shop that he passed. Riku chuckled slightly at the brunette's childish behavior, but followed the excited youth anyways. Leon followed them reluctantly while the others went and rented a hotel room. (They drew names from a hat) Sora continued to look, and eventually came upon a shop that seemed different from the rest. He pulled Riku inside, leaving Leon to look at the new leather gloves in the shop next door.

Sora started looking around, and eventually, something caught his eye. It was a small necklace, meant to be shared by two people. It had a golden pendant on a golden chain. He looked closer at it, and he realized that it was a paupu fruit, like the ones that he had eaten back on the island when he couldn't find any food to eat. He didn't like to eat them, because he had always felt weird about not sharing it with anybody else like he was supposed to.

"Hey, Riku! Look at this!" Sora said, gripping his boyfriend tighter. "It's like the fruit back home!"

"Yes, that's our best seller," a little girl at the counter said. She had one blue eye and one green, and layered brown hair. "Hi, my name's Yuna. My mom owns the shop. This is my favorite necklace in the entire shop. They say that when two people share a paupu fruit, their destinies become intertwined. It's so romantic. My boyfriend got me a set of these necklaces. He's living in the mountains for awhile. This necklace is my most prized possession," she said, a dreamy look in her eyes as she gripped a necklace around her neck.

"I love that story," Sora said as he continued looking at the necklace, missing the mischievous glint in Riku's eyes.

"Hey, Yuna, I'll take that set," Riku said, grinning at the confused look Sora gave him. Yuna opened the glass case and took out the necklace and handed it to Riku, who gave her the money.

"Riku?" Sora asked, confused still confused by the boy's strange actions. Riku said nothing, just pocketed the necklaces, a mischievous look still on his face. He took Sora's hand gently and walked outside and found Leon in the next shop over.

"Well, ready to go?" Riku asked Leon, who nodded in agreement. He gave a weird look at Sora's still confused face, but didn't say anything. They walked over to the hotel, where everyone else was waiting for them. After they all reunited, they went over to the rather large 4th district. It had housing and shopping, and Riku had to drag Sora away from the candy store.

"Aww, but Riku, I wanted some!" Sora pouted as they continued down the pathways.

"Aww, Sora, don't pout," he said, and kissed Sora on the lips. "It's too cute!" He watched as little tinges of pink rose in Sora's cheeks as he looked down at his feet, and Riku laughed slightly. He took Sora's hand in his as they continued. They eventually came to a small house, where Aerith pulled out a key and unlocked the front door.

"Well, here it is!" Aerith announced as she entered the small house. Sora and Riku entered the cozy dwelling and were amazed by what they saw.

It was a warm little home, with the living room in the front, with a lit fire illuminating the comfy furniture. There was a kitchen and dining room, and a large T.V. in the living room. She showed them the upstairs, where there was a small bathroom, a bedroom with one bed and a television, and another small room that contained books and a desk.

They put their things in the bedroom, and then went downstairs where everyone was making them selves comfy. "Sorry, there's only one bedroom, but I don't think that will be a problem for you," Aerith said with a small giggle.

Riku just grinned, and went over to the kitchen. Sora went over and sat down in the living room, and grabbed the remote. He flipped through the channels until he found one he liked, and left it on that. Riku searched through the cupboards and looked at what food they had. He finally found what he was looking for, and sat down next to Sora with a big box of cookies. He started watching the show that Sora had picked, and started eating the box of chocolate cookies. After awhile, everyone decided that they should probably go to the hotel and rest, because they had a long ways to go tomorrow.

Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie prepared to go, but Cloud stayed behind for a moment and said, "Hey, Riku, can I have a word with you?"

"Sure," Riku said, and got up, handing the box of cookies to Sora. They went upstairs to the small room, and Cloud shut the door behind them. "So, what'd you want to talk about?"

"You know, Sora's a special kid, Riku," Cloud started as he flipped on a light.

"Yeah, I know he's special," Riku replied, a mischievous grin on his face.

"I knew Sora when he was a little kid. That's because I knew his father. We grew up together. He was a kind man, and it was a very sad day for me and Leon when we found out he died. Had I known that Sora was left to Ansem, I would have done something, but I didn't know. And by the time I found out, it was too late. The damage was done. Even as a little kid Sora was kind, never spoiled; never mean. Always the sweetest little thing, just like his sister," Cloud said, reminiscing about the past.

"Umm, Cloud, not that I don't like hearing about Sora's past, but where are you going with this?" Riku asked, slightly confused.

"Well, what this all boils down to, is I love Sora like an older brother would. So, if you break his heart, I break you," he said, a dark look in his eyes.

"Understood," Riku said.

"Good," Cloud said, and reopened the door. "We'll be back to visit tomorrow before we leave, but you guys had better get some sleep, okay?"

"We will," the silver haired boy replied, as they walked down the stairs. He and Sora said goodbye to them as they left, and Riku went over and sat down next to Sora, who had already gone through half the box of his cookies.

"What did he want to talk to you about?" Sora asked, his mouth full of cookie.

"Nothin'," Riku replied as he pulled Sora onto his lap. Sora smiled happily at him, and set the box down on the small table. "You are so cute," Riku said as he hugged the boy younger boy.

Sora hugged him back, and looked up into his aqua eyes. Riku leaned closer and captured his lips in a fierce kiss, Sora's mouth tasting like cookies. 'Mmmm,' Riku thought as he tasted this, and put his hand on Sora's chin, deepening the kiss. But suddenly, Sora pulled away, and stood up, and pulled Riku up with him. He led him upstairs and into the bedroom. He crawled on top of the bed, and motioned for Riku to follow him. Riku went over to their bags and grabbed their sleeping clothes before he got on top of the bed with Sora.

He told Sora to close his eyes and lay down, which the younger boy did obligingly. Next, he pulled off Sora's shirt, and the young boy shivered slightly at the sudden contact of air on his skin. Riku smiled down at him, and leaned over and started to kiss a trail on Sora's stomach and chest, making the brunette mewl in pleasure. He planted his mouth on Sora's mouth, and kissed him deeply on the lips. Sora moaned deeply at this, and moved his lips apart, letting Riku's tongue into his mouth. Riku let his hands wander down to Sora's waist, and undid the belt, while Sora wrapped his two sweaty arms around his lover.

* * *

When Riku finally pulled away, gasping for breath, Sora grinned up at him, his eyes full of love. "I love you Riku," Sora said, as he kissed Riku's chest.

"I know you do," Riku replied lying down next to Sora. "You know I'd never hurt you, right, Sora?" Riku said, nibbling on Sora's ear gently, making Sora purr and arch up against Riku's sweaty body.

"I know," Sora said, sensations tingling through his body. "Don't ever leave me," Sora whispered as he fell asleep.

"I won't," Riku said, as he watched his angel fall asleep. He sat up, and got into his sleeping clothes, then dressed Sora, who didn't wake up the entire time. He didn't want Leon or Cloud coming in, and seeing them sleeping naked together. He heard Sora mumbling something about chocolate and licorice, and laughed quietly at the silly boy. Finally, he lay down next to the slumbering brunette, and went to bed.

* * *

_The Next Morning:_

Riku woke up, and glanced at the clock on the wall, and it read 7:27. Riku got up and went downstairs, then searched through the kitchen until he found some cereal. He sat down on the couch and flipped on the T.V., waiting for Sora to wake up. He watched a few programs, and eventually, he heard the sound of someone walking down the stairs he looked up and saw Sora there, his hair still in the bed head shape. He smiled at the cute little boy as he came and sat down next to Riku.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Sleep well?" Riku asked, fixing Sora's hair. Sora purred at this, and snuggled up closer to Riku. Sora grabbed the box of cereal away from Riku and started eating it. After awhile, they heard somebody knock on the door. "Come in," Riku yelled, not getting up from his comfy position underneath Sora, who by now was sitting in his lap.

"Hey, Riku, Sora, have a nice night?" Leon asked, looking at the two boys. Sora grinned, and continued eating his Fruit Loops. Cloud came in a couple minutes later, and looked at the younger boy in the older boys lap.

"Taking care of Sora?" Cloud asked Riku.

"Yep," Riku answered, and wrapped two arms around Sora.

"So we're going to be leaving soon. You guys gonna be okay until Aerith gets here? She had to go shopping for a little bit," Leon said, stealing a handful of Fruit Loops from Sora's box. Sora just glared at him, and continued eating.

"Yeah, we'll be fine," Riku said, suppressing a small laugh caused by that little scene. Sora could be so cute when pouting. "I think we might go out for a bit later."

"Alright, but I want you to stay away from the third district, and to always stay clear of alleyways," Leon warned the two boys.

"Okay, but why?" Sora asked.

"For one thing they say that third district is haunted, so there aren't many people there to watch you in case something happens. And word on the street says that there's been a gang going around. So I want you to watch your backs, alright?" Cloud answered.

"Don't worry, I'll watch Sora," Riku said, and started kissing Sora, who responded immediately. Clouds eyes darkened as he saw this, obviously being protective of the smaller boy. Leon just gave him the 'don't interfere' look, and gathered up their things.

"Come on, Cloud," the older brunette said, and started heading towards the door. Cloud went to his lover and wrapped an arm around the brunette. "Remember when we did that, our parents didn't approve either." Cloud just grinned and kissed Leon on the lips before walking out the door. Five minutes later, Riku and Sora realized that Leon and Cloud had left, and they stopped kissing after awhile.

"So, Sora, I have a present for you," Riku said, holding his boyfriend in his arms. "Close your eyes, Sora," he said, and the younger one did so without question. A mere month ago, Sora would have hesitated doing anything, but he trusted Riku with his life. Riku fastened the small paupu necklace around Sora's neck, and then said, "Okay, open." Sora opened his sapphire eyes and looked at the necklace that Riku had gotten. Sora squealed in delight, and hugged Riku tightly.

"Thank you, Riku, I love it!" Sora said as he buried his face in the crook of Riku's neck. "Hey, wasn't there a pair of these?" Sora asked after awhile, poking Riku lightly in the chest.

"Yeah," Riku said, taking out the other necklace. "But –," Riku started, but was silenced by Sora's lips. Sora grabbed the necklace from the silver's hand, and undid the clasp, their lips never leaving each others. He did the necklace around Riku's neck, and hugged him tighter. When they finally stopped for breath, Riku murmured, "I love you, Sora. So, are you ready to go out and look around for awhile? I need to go see if there's a decent art store around here. I'm almost out of sketchbooks. I keep drawing you," Riku said holding Sora.

"Okay!" Sora said, and bounced to his feet. "Let's go!" Riku got up and they both went and changed before heading outside. They walked out through the fourth district they went and got a proper breakfast in a small diner. Afterwards, they went shopping for a little while. They stopped at a small bookshop, and Riku bought a couple of sketchbooks there. Next, they went to a candy store, and they bought a bunch of candies. After awhile, they came to a small shop that sold art supplies.

"Hey, Sora, let's go in there," Riku said as they passed by.

"Okay," Sora said, his mouth full of chocolate. They entered the small shop, and Riku looked around. It seemed to have the stuff that Riku needed, and he started going through the different pens and pencils. Sora looked around, and saw that there was no clerk in the shop. This seemed odd to him, but he didn't say anything.

"Hey, Sora, I'm gonna go ask if they have any exacto-knifes, okay? I'll be back in a minute," Riku called, and then went into the backroom. Sora waited outside for awhile, and then decided to go find Riku …

* * *

Riku entered the backroom, and what he found surprised him. "Hello, Riku. What are you doing here?" a blonde asked from the corner of the room.

"Uh … Larxene, what are you doing here?" Riku asked as he recognized his ex-girlfriend.

"Well, after you dumped me, I decided to move here," Larxene said, taking a step towards the younger boy. "You know, I really don't like getting dumped."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out when you tried to kill my best friend," Riku said, taking a step back.

"Oh, that Yuffie girl was trying to hurt you, my dear. I was only trying to protect you, love," Larxene said, a fake look of concern on her face as she stepped even closer to Riku.

"I'm not your boyfriend anymore, and Yuffie was never going to hurt me!" Riku said as the girl pinned him against the wall.

"Oh, but she was. I heard her talking about it," Larxene said as she started to nibble on Riku's ear.

"Get off of me, Larxne. I've moved on," Riku said, trying to push the older girl off of him.

"Oh, but Riku, I've missed you for so long! Who's your new girlfriend?" she asked, licking Riku's jaw line.

"That is none of your business, Larxene! And get off of –," Riku started, but was cut off when she pressed her lips to his. Riku closed his eyes in shock, and was stunned, so he didn't fight back. But then he heard the voice of a shocked little boy, and he opened his eyes and saw Sora standing there, a strange, yet sad look of shock, betrayal, and hurt on his face.

"R – Riku?" Sora asked, wide-eyed, and then dashed out of the store, tears streaming down his face.

'Crap,' Riku thought as he struggled underneath the woman.

"So, Riku, is that your new 'girlfriend'?" Larxene sneered. "Well, if I get rid of 'im, maybe you'll finally realize that you and I are meant to be," she said, taking out her cell phone.

"Don't you dare touch my Sora, you bitch!" Riku screamed, and ran out the door, chasing after Sora, leaving Larxene who had a devilish grin on her face.

She turned on her cell phone, and dialed a number. "Yeah, it's me. Everything is going according to plan. Get him."

* * *

R-K-M: You know, I could end it there, and leave it as a cliffy …

Sora: Noo! I must find out what happens between me and Riku!

Riku: Sora! Come back!

R-K-M: Nah, I'll continue! (ahem) And now, back to the story! But you must promise not to come after me with pitchforks and torches, 'kay?

* * *

Sora ran. Long and hard. He ran until he couldn't anymore, not realizing that he was running right into the third district. He collapsed in a nearby alley, and lay there, crying his eyes out.

"How could Riku betray me?" Sora sobbed, lying in the dark, cold alley. "I thought he loved me. I was a fool to think that he loved me. How long has he been seeing her? He probably loves her more than me. Why?" Sora cried, wallowing in self pity.

"Well, you are right to call yourself a fool," a voice behind him said. Sora looked up blearily, and saw somebody standing there in a black robe, a hood covering his face.

"Who – Who are you?" Sora asked, trying to wipe his eyes.

"That is none of your business, boy!" the man said, and stepped towards Sora. He picked the younger boy up by his collar and slammed him against the wall as three more robed men came up behind him. "Now come quietly like a good boy."

"No!" Sora yelled, and started striking out at the 4 figures that were trying to tie him up. He kicked one in the family jewels, another in the stomach, and punched another two in the face. He started to run out of the alleyway, when he felt himself being grabbed from behind, a knife against his throat. Sora stopped immediately, as he felt a hot voice whisper near his ear.

"Either come quietly, or we'll hurt your little silver haired friend," he whispered, and Sora's eyes grew wide as he let the big man pull him back further into the alley. He didn't say a word or do anything as the men that he had beaten up earlier roughly tied him up. He was being held by one of them, and carried to a small house further in the third district. They opened the door and threw Sora harshly down on a small bed. The boy just lay there, trembling, fearful of the fact that they might hurt Riku.

'I hope Riku is safe,' Sora thought as he lay there. He reached a hand to feel around his neck, but only felt one of the two necklaces there. He still had the crown necklace on, but his new one was missing. 'It must have fallen off during the fight,' Sora reasoned, and he started to shake. He could feel blood slowly trickling down his neck where the man had held a knife to his throat. He was still laying there, shaking, when one of the robed men threw a blanket over him, blocking out any view or sounds.

* * *

Riku ran tirelessly through the streets of Traverse Town, searching for the young boy. He was still trying to get the vulgar taste of that witch out of his mouth, as he ran. 'Damn it! This is my fault!' Riku thought as he searched everywhere he could get to. 'I should have gotten out of there as soon as I saw Larxene! That bitch! I hate her!' Riku thought as he searched all of second, fourth, and first district. Riku finally stopped for breath as he finished searching the first district.

"Sora wouldn't go into the third district, would he?" Riku gasped out as he tried to find his breath. "Well, there's only one way to find out!" he said, and dashed through the door. He ran through the streets of the third district, passing deserted building after deserted building. He continued until an alleyway that he passed had a certain familiar smell to it. He ran into the dark alley, and saw blood on the ground. His heart rate went up as he saw it, but soon realized that it wasn't Sora's. Sora's was purer, and this blood was tainted with darkness.

He continued to look around for clues, and a glint of gold caught his eye. He reached down and found the paupu necklace, and it was covered in Sora's blood. He felt terror grip his heart and a sinking feeling in his stomach as he saw it. This was definitely Sora's blood. Pure and innocent. He collapsed on the ground, lost.

"Sora can't be dead," Riku whined to the darkness. He felt himself start to go empty inside, as this thought crossed his mind. But something in his heart told him that Sora was alive, and Riku had to find him. He got up from the ground and started running, looking around for his love, clutching Sora's necklace to his chest.

* * *

Sora lay shaking underneath the blanket as the robed people congregated outside. Because of the thickness of the cloth covering him, he couldn't make out any words, but he could still hear voices. There were two men there, and, from what he could tell, a women. But he obviously didn't know what they were going to do with him … or _to _him.

He heard the door slam shut, and he waited for a little bit he felt the cover being pulled of him. There was only one person in there now, but he still had his hood up.

But that soon wasn't a problem as the hood came down revealing a man with a pale face, long, black hair, and cold blue eyes. His eyes seemed cold, and there was dried blood on his face. He looked down at Sora, his gaze icy cold. He traced a finger along Sora's face, seeming to be considering something in his mind. Finally he stopped, and pulled out a small blue vial.

At the sight of the vial, Sora's eyes grew wide. He knew that potion; Ansem used to use it on him all the time. It made you paralyzed all over, but you could still feel everything that happened to you. He tried to break the bonds holding his hands and feet, but his efforts were fruitless. "Now, now," the man said, examining the contents of the bottle. "Keep struggling and I might have to hurt your little Riku even more," he said.

"R –Riku's hurt?" Sora cried.

"Oh, yes," the man said, obviously lying, but Sora was too worried and scared to notice. "Pools of blood everywhere." Sora whimpered at the image that was created in his head, and just went limp in defeat. The man forced Sora's mouth open, and dumped the potion down Sora's throat so that he couldn't spit it out. Immediately his entire body went limp, and he couldn't move any part of his body.

The man put the vial away, and started to undo the ropes binding Sora. He took off the ropes, and then proceeded to take off Sora's shirt. He stopped after that, and lay Sora flat against the bed. "W – What are you going to do to me?" Sora asked, finally finding the strength to talk.

"I need to find out if you really are the chosen one. The one who has the purest heart," the man said, reaching into his robe and pulling out a knife. Sora's eyes grew wider, and the man smirked at the boy's reaction. "But just because I have to evaluate you, doesn't mean that I can't have a little 'fun' of my own, first," the man said, a wicked grin coming across his icy features as he took his gloves off. He ran a hand along the numerous scars that covered Sora's soft, creamy flesh, and he chuckled slightly when Sora shivered at the contact. He pressed down on the burn that Sora had gotten, sending pain through his body. After what seemed like an eternity of the man's hands wandering his naked chest and stomach, he finally stopped.

He grinning like a madman, he used the flat side of the blade and ran it against the boy's skin. The metal was cold rough, just like the man's eyes. He ran it along his skin, then turned the flat side to the side with the blade, and reopened one of the longer scars on his skin. Sora bit his lip to keep from screaming as the wound opened, spurting blood on himself and the knife. The blood trickled down his body as the man let the knife get covered in blood. He took the blood covered knife and licked off the red liquid, watching the blood flow down Sora in small little rivers, crimson contrasting with the cream color of the flesh. Sora could feel tears welling up in his eyes.

The man reached down and found another long scar on Sora's body, and reopened that one too, cutting into the skin deeper. Sora gasped at the bolts of pain that went coursing through his body, and bit back a scream of pain. He couldn't hold the tears in any longer, and a single tear leaked from his eye, followed by many more. He couldn't stop himself from crying, and even though he wanted to be strong, he just couldn't. The man opened two more old scars, and Sora started to whimper from the pain unknowingly. Smiling at the reaction, he licked the blood-soaked knife, delighting in the taste of Sora's blood. Although Sora wanted to be strong, he couldn't do anything to prevent himself from passing out from the pain and blood loss.

* * *

Riku continued running through the streets, searching for any sign of Sora. He circled third district again, and was starting to consider going back and checking the other districts again, when he smelled a frightful, familiar scent. The scent of Sora's blood. He felt his own blood run cold as he realized that the blood was nearby. And a lot of it. He paused for a second to think, and realized that the scent was coming from a nearby house. It was shabby and old, with a broken window in the upstairs. Riku ran to the house, the scent of pure, innocent blood getting stronger and stronger.

He burst through the door, making a man inside jump at the intrusion. He was standing over something, but Riku couldn't see what it was. Riku saw the knife in the man's hand, the blood that it was covered in, and the malicious grin. He quickly took all this in, and snarled, "Where's that blood from?"

"I was starting to wonder what was taking you so long, Riku Renvulle," the man said, licking the blood off of the knife. "Are you honestly telling me that you don't know what the blood is from? Well, let me help you," he said, and stepped out of the way so that Riku could see. He saw Sora lying in a pool of his own blood, covered in the crimson liquid. His eyes were shut, and his breathing ragged. Riku just stood there, stunned at Sora's appearance, and he started toward the younger boy. But his pathway was blocked by the robed man. "You didn't think that I would just _let _you take our new pet, did you?"

"Out of my way!" Riku roared, and knocked the man out of his way with a ferocious blow. He hurried to Sora's side, and wiped the sweat and tears away from his face. "Oh, Sora, this is my fault! I'm so sorry, my love, don't leave me! Sora!" Riku cried. He gathered Sora in his arms, and turned to leave, when he saw the robed man blocking his exit. "Move," Riku said simply and deadly. When the man didn't make any motion to move, he raised his arm and said two simple words that he remembered from his fight with Ansem. "Dark Firaga!" Riku yelled, and a ball of blue and black fire emitted from his hand, knocking the man out of the way and unconscious.

Riku walked out of the door, cradling his lover's bloody form in his arms. He was halfway back to the house when Sora started to come to. "R – Riku?" Sora asked, feeling that he was being carried by someone with the scent of roses. "Riku, I'm sorry," Sora muttered, his voice very faint and weak.

"Yes, Sora, it's me. You're safe now. Don't be sorry, this is all my fault, sweetie. Go to sleep. I'll take care of you now," Riku murmured, comforting his angel.

"Thanks, Riku … I love you," he said, and fell asleep in the safety of his lover's arms.

* * *

Riku arrived back at the house, and dashed upstairs. He laid Sora gently on the bed, and rushed to the bathroom and got wet rags, towels, and bandages. He hurried back to Sora's side, and started cleaning the reopened cuts on Sora's body, wiping away the blood that covered him. If Riku had had the time he would have killed that bastard, but he was too concerned with Sora's health to do anything else. In his mind, Sora would always come first, no matter what.

He finished cleaning the wounds that had been inflicted upon the brunette's body, and carefully started to bandage them. He had just finished, when Sora started to wake up. "Riku?" the boy asked, still feeling weak and helpless.

"Yes, my love?" Riku asked, lying next to the young boy.

"Did you save me?" Sora asked.

"Yes, darling. They didn't … touch you, did they?" Riku asked worried about his little brunette.

"No, Riku, but they did make me drink a paralyze potion," he told the silver haired boy.

"Well how can I make it go away?" Riku inquired.

"From what I know, it'll just disappear after awhile. But until then, could you just … hold me?" Sora mumbled.

"Anything for you, my love," Riku answered, and pulled Sora into his lap, cradling him in his arms, protecting him from any danger. "Hey, Sora?"

"Hmm?"

"You know that lady? She's my ex-girlfriend. She kissed me. I would never cheat on you. You know that, right?"

"I do now," Sora muttered, and snuggled closer to Riku. "Sorry I ran away, Riku."

"How did they catch you? You could have taken a wimp like that," Riku said.

"Well, I almost got away, but they said that they'd hurt you. I didn't want you to get hurt, so I went with them," Sora replied. "But I guess they were lying, 'cause here you are safe and untouched."

"I don't want you to worry about me, Sora. I just want you to worry about yourself," Riku said, squeezing Sora tighter.

"Riku, I love you more than life itself," Sora answered. Riku didn't know what to say to this, so he just hugged him tightly, and they both fell asleep that way.

* * *

_That Evening:_

Riku woke up later that evening, the younger boy still cradled in his arms. He carefully got up, careful not to wake the sleeping boy. He undid the bandages that covered the boy's chest, because they had been bled through. He put fresh bandages on him, and then went downstairs. He found Aerith down there, making some tea.

"Hey, what happened while I was away?" Aerith asked, concern in her emerald eyes. "I found you and Sora asleep up there, and he was in bandages!"

"Well …," Riku started, and told the whole story of what had happened to him and what he knew of what had happened to Sora.

"Oh, man! I should have been there!" Aerith said, mentally slapping herself. "Well, as long as you guys are okay now. How bad are Sora's wounds?"

"Some of them are pretty nasty, but I think I've got them bandaged up well," Riku answered.

"Here, get Sora to drink this tea. It will make him feel better. I put some special herbs in it. After he drinks it, he needs to rest some more, okay?" Aerith said, handing a mug to Riku.

From upstairs he could hear Sora waking up. "Riku?" came a panicked voice. Riku went upstairs and found the younger boy sitting up. He looked relieved when Riku came in and sat down next to him.

"Here, Sora, drink this. It will help you feel better," he said, handing the mug to Sora.

"Thanks," Sora muttered, and drank the tea. He finished the mug in a matter of minutes, and then handed it back to Riku.

"So, feeling any better?" Riku asked anxiously.

"Yeah, but just a little," Sora answered. Riku took the mug back to Aerith, and then went back upstairs to be with Sora.

"Sora, you should get some more rest," Riku told the boy who was sitting waiting for him. "Come on, sleep," Riku said, gently pushing his lover on to the bed. Sora got comfy, and Riku went over and sat down next to him. "Night, love," he said, and kissed the top of his head.

"Riku, I love you," Sora said, and then went to sleep.

* * *

**Author's Ranting:**  
Okay, sorry this is a week late, but I was really busy. I hope you liked it, and don't flame me because Larxene kissed Riku! Or because of what happens to Sora! Enjoy the fluff while it lasts! The story only has a couple chappies left! Review otherwise Riku will mysteriously disappear … Ja Ne! 


	7. The Time He Failed

**Silver Haired Savior**

**The Time He Failed**

**Date Started:** 7/31/05  
**Date Finished:** 8/7/05

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts or the song. They belong to other people, and I probably never will own them. So don't sue me! Besides, I'm poor, so yeah.

**Author's Insane Sugar High Ramblings:**

Okay, so here's the next chapter! Wow, longest one yet! I know that it's really late, but I've been soooooo busy! This will probably be the last update for a little while, because I have other stuff going on. If you really want to know, find out on my deviantArt journal, or see the note at the end. This chapter is dedicated to F-chan 1, DieChan, Azneyez, Tala and Kai Lover, AnimeDutchess, grimr06, thekeybladegirl, starryskydragon, and Black Hikari. You guys are all the greatest! ((sobs)) If you haven't been reviewing, could you please just so I know who's reading? Annonymous reviews are accepted! I spent a lot of time on this chapter, and it would be nice to have it appreciated. Thanks. Read and **REVIEW**. Ja Ne!

* * *

Sora got up and walked downstairs, carefully taking each step by step. It had been two days since he had been captured and rescued. His wounds still hurt, but not as badly as they had before. He gingerly entered the dark room, went over to the couch, and lay down, careful to mind his injuries. He could tell that it was midnight in Traverse Town as he heard the bell in second district ringing. He felt weak and tired, but he couldn't sleep. He missed Riku. Riku had gone out for a while, searching for the man that had hurt his Sora. Sora hadn't been alone ever since that had happened, and now he was always close to Aerith or Riku. Aerith was upstairs in the study, looking for an old spell that would help Sora recover. 

Sora closed his eyes, and just sat there, enjoying the silence. His thoughts were with Riku, wherever he had gone to. Sora lay like that for almost half an hour, and then he heard some sounds from outside. He gently let his eyes flutter open, and expected the door to open and show him Riku. But what he saw instead was a swirling mass of black and blue, eerily standing out in the darkness of the room. And as he watched the swirling mass, a man in a black robe the same as the men he saw earlier stepped through.

He scrunched up into a little ball as the man stepped completely out into the little living room. Sora wanted to scream, but he couldn't find the strength to do it. His throat was dry and he was scared. He tried to say something, but as he opened his mouth, no sound came out. The man faced him, and Sora couldn't see the man's face because his hood was up. His eyes filled with fear as the man approached him. Sora lashed out at the man, kicking him with his feet, but his wounds were still hurting him. One of the wounds on his side reopened, making Sora wince in pain.

The man in black was caught off guard momentarily, and stumbled. But he quickly regained his senses, and used a freeze spell on Sora. Sora was frozen in place, and he struggled to move as the man grew closer. Sora started to panic, and struggled violently against the spell, but it didn't work. He tried to call for help, but to no avail. Suddenly, he saw the light turn on, and he heard Aerith's voice. She came down, but didn't look alarmed at all.

"Sora? Where are you?" she asked, looking around. Sora looked confused, and the man looked down at his prize.

"Wondering why she can't see or hear us? I put a shield charm over us, so she can't. But I can't summon the portal with the charm still up," the hooded man said in a low, husky voice, making Sora shudder.

"Maybe he's upstairs," she said, and she went up the stairs.

"Now, you're all mine," he said after he sent a flash of light after Aerith, and started to grab Sora. He had just lifted Sora off of the couch, when the door to the small house burst open. There stood an angry Riku, and he seemed to be looking for someone. The man in the black robe dropped Sora, and looked slightly alarmed.

"I could have sworn I smelled Sora's blood! Where is he?" Riku said, and he ran upstairs.

"Come along now, Sora," the man said, and started to grab Sora once again. Sora let out a whimper, and Riku came running down the stairs again just as the man was about to summon the portal. Riku looked alarmed, and he started to frantically look around. Sora felt a sharp twinge of pain in his heart, knowing that he was causing Riku pain. Riku used his nose to smell the air, and he started walking over to the place where Sora and the man in black were being hidden by the charm. He steadily grew closer and closer, a determined look on his face, and Sora started to feel more hopeful as his love sought him out. The man in the robe started to panic, and he seemed as if he was trying to figure out what to do.

Sora struggled against the spell put on him, and he eventually managed to get out a very faint and choked out "Ri … ku." Riku seemed to be surprised by this, and he ran towards the place where he heard Sora. He ran forward, and reached out, and managed to grab Sora's shirt. Immediately the shield charm broke, and Riku saw the man in the black holding Sora. He immediately pulled Sora to his own body, and held him protectively. The man started to panic, and started to summon the portal, but Riku dropped Sora on the couch, and grabbed him, and then held him down.

The man's hood fell down, revealing a man with long blonde hair and a pale face. He looked terrified of the look in Riku's eyes, and he tried to wriggle free of his grasp. Riku looked coldly at him, and said, "Why are you jerks after Sora?" he demanded, and the man didn't look like he would answer. He wouldn't face Riku, and he seemed to be glancing around nervously. Riku shook him roughly, and said, "Answer me, damn it!"

"I … um … I," the man started to stutter. "I – I was sent t-to find the … the ch-chosen one!" he stuttered out, and Riku released him.  
"Tell your superiors to either leave Sora alone, or I will hurt them so bad, they'll wish that they hadn't been born!" Riku yelled, and the man summoned a portal and left through it.

"Ri … ku …," Sora choked out, and Riku rushed over to Sora.

"Oh, Sora! He didn't hurt you, did he?" he asked frantically, looking Sora all over. He noticed Sora's reopened cut, and he pulled a roll of bandages out from his pocket. "I was coming back, when I smelled your blood, and I came as fast as I could. But when I came in, I couldn't see anything. I went upstairs, and I found Aerith collapsed rather unceremoniously on our bed, and then I heard your whimper from downstairs. Sora, are you okay?" Riku finished, tying the final knot on the bandage. He leaned forward and gave Sora a quick kiss before sitting on the couch next to him. He hugged Sora to his chest, and Sora just leaned into him, feeling safe as long as Riku was with him.

"I'm fine, Riku," Sora started, and he wrapped his arms around Riku's waist. "I'm just so … so confused!" he screamed into Riku's chest. He jumped on top of Riku, making them both topple onto the couch cushions. "Why is everybody after me? I just wanna live with you and be happy for once, without worrying if something bad will happen to me!" Sora cried, and Riku was rubbing his back. "I just want them to leave us alone," Sora sobbed, making Riku's orange t-shirt soaked. "Just when I thought that things were looking up, this happens!"

"Shhh, Sora, relax, shhh," Riku said, trying to comfort the young boy. "I will do everything I can to make you safe," Riku said. "One day, you will be happy, and we'll go off together, away from all of our troubles. One day we'll be together," he said, and the brunette looked up at him happily.

"Really?" he whimpered.

_**No matter what the time  
**__**I'm just alone  
**__**Destiny forgotten,  
**__**Even though I kept going.  
**__**Inside of the sudden light I awaken  
**__**In the middle of the night**_

_**Quietly,  
**__**Stand in the exit way,  
**__**And, in the pitch-black, take the light**_

"Yes," he answered, and pulled Sora on top of his chest, and wrapped his arms around Sora's shaking body. "I promise you," he said, and kissed Sora on the lips. He played around Sora's lips, asking for entrance, and the younger boy gave it to him. He let his tongue slip in to the hot mouth, and Sora enjoyed every minute of it. Sora moaned in pleasure, and his tongue danced with Riku's. It felt so right, like this was how things were meant to be. For a moment they forgot all about their troubles, and let their minds go blank, feeling nothing but pure bliss.

It felt as if everything would be right if they just stayed like that. All of their worries melted away, and they lost themselves in their emotions. Eventually they had to pull away, because even the most in love people need breath. They let go of each others mouths, each liking their bruised, chapped lips.

_**And about the recent promises,  
**__**Is it just that I'm so anxious?  
**__**A wish that's wanting to be said, but shall be repressed  
**__**I'll introduce my family,  
**__**You'll surely get along well**_

_**No matter what the time  
**__**We'll always be together  
**__**No matter what the time  
**__**Because you're by my side  
**__**The light known as "you" finds me,  
**__**In the middle of the night**_

Sora looked into Riku's beautiful aqua eyes, as he looked back into his own sapphire ones. They stared, looking deep into their eyes, into their very souls. They caught their breath, and Riku put a hand on Sora's cheek. He pushed his lips on to the brunettes, and they kissed passionately again. Lust was taking them over, and they didn't have a care in the world.

_**Enter a noisy street  
**__**And put on the mask of destiny.  
**__**  
**__**Thinking too much about the future.  
**__**Stopping things that have no meaning.  
**__**Today I'll eat delicious things.  
**__**The future is always before us,  
**__**Even I don't know it.**_

_**It's not necessary to go right to the end,  
**__**Just keep going.  
**__**Its okay if the scenes  
**__**Go on one by one.  
**__**The light known as "you"  
**__**reflects my scenario**_

The future didn't bother them, and they didn't listen to the voice of premonition ringing all around them. All they knew was that they were together, and safe for the time being. They pulled away once again for air, and they were breathing heavily. Riku moved his hands into Sora's chocolate locks, feeling the softness of it slip through his fingers. "You are my light, Sora," Riku mumbled as he caressed his head and back. Although he wanted to go further, he knew that he couldn't, because he would hurt Sora.

_**Let's talk more,  
**__**And about the tomorrow that's before your very eyes.  
**__**Turn off the television,  
**__**And look only at me.**_

_**No matter how well we're doing,  
**__**I don't believe in us completely.  
**__**But at those sort of times,  
**__**Because you're by my side,  
**__**The light known as "you" finds me,  
**__**In the middle of the night.**_

Sora laid his head on Riku's heaving chest, feeling Riku's fingers caress his back and hair. It felt like heaven to him, being here in his lovers arms. He wouldn't trade these feelings for anything. "I love you, Riku. So very much," Sora murmured, loving the feeling of Riku's hands holding him; protecting him. "Riku, say you love me," Sora sweetly and softly ordered.

"I love you with every fiber of my being," he said sweetly to Sora, who was gently purring at his strokes. He hugged Sora tighter, and kissed the top of his brown head of locks. "You are so sweet and innocent, my little angel," Riku whispered to the boy in his arms.

_**Let's talk more,  
**__**And about the tomorrow that's before your very eyes.  
**__**Turn off the television,  
**__**And look only at me.**_

"Riku, never leave me. I don't think I could stand it. I love you so much it hurts," Sora told his lover.

"Don't worry, Sora. I couldn't leave you if I tried. I love you too much. When I see other people hurting you it makes my blood boil. I've never felt that way about anyone else before. Sora, you bring out the best in me," Riku said, and Sora had a tinge of pink on his cheek.

"You always make me feel special, Riku. Before I met all of our friends, I didn't feel special at all. I didn't even feel like I deserved to live. But then I met Yuffie, and Aerith, and Cloud and everyone, and I felt something that I haven't felt since I was with Kairi so long ago. I felt like I had a family. I met you, suddenly the world felt … right. Thanks, Riku," Sora said, and shifted a little on top of Riku.

"Anything for you, my angel," Riku said as he fell asleep, the brunette angel asleep on top of him.

* * *

Riku awoke later to the sound of Aerith trying to shake them awake. 

"Sora, Riku, wake up!" she called to them. "Come on, wake up!"

"We're up, we're up," Riku said, drowsily opening his eyes. He looked at the boy asleep on top of him, and started shaking the boy gently. "Come on, Sora, you need to get up now," he gently cooed.

"Huh?" Sora asked as his eyes fluttered open, revealing his sapphire eyes.

"Come on, guys, I think I found something," Aerith said, her emerald eyes gleaming with excitement. The two boys got up and went with Aerith upstairs and into the study. There were books strewn all across the small room, and on the desk there were mountains of them. But there was one that stood out from the others. It seemed to glow compared to the others, and it seemed very old. The pages were worn with wear, and the binding was thick leather. "I finally found the spell that we needed. It took me awhile, because the knife that the man used was magic. That meant that the wounds wouldn't have healed very well. I think their plan was to make Sora look so bad that Riku wouldn't want him anymore," Aerith said, flipping through the pages in the book.

"Well then they obviously don't know me very well, do they?" Riku commented, nuzzling the top of Sora's head.

"Right. But Sora? Is this the knife that the man used?" Aerith asked, showing them a picture of a knife. The young boy glanced at the page.

"Yes," Sora said, looking at the ground. He hugged Riku tighter, and Riku put his arm around Sora's slim waist.

"I thought so. This is a magical blade. It took me forever to find the spell that was put on it. But I finally found it. That's why your wounds wouldn't heal when I tried a potion or cure magic on them. You need a special spell for it," she said, flipping to another page. "I finally found one, but the details are kind of … interesting …," she said, and showed them the page.

Riku looked down at the page, and his eyes grew wide as he read it. He looked at Sora, who had his head buried in Riku's chest. Sora looked up at the long silence, and saw everyone looking at him. "What?" he asked, a little confused.

"Ummm, Sora, look at the spell," Riku said, and Sora looked at the page. "In order for the spell to work, the user and the receiver must be in the same room together alone, with the user giving a blood offering and the receiver lying naked … I have to do this!" Sora yelled.

"Unfortunately, that's the only way to do the spell," Aerith said, as she marked the page with a piece of paper. They stood in silence for awhile, until Riku finally decided something.

"I'll do it!" he said bravely, earning him a smile from Sora. "Anything for my Sora," he said.

"Are you sure? There is a blood offering involved," Aerith asked concerned, picking up the book.

"Anything for Sora," Riku said. "We'll do the spell soon," he said, taking the book from Aerith. He looked at his watch, and it read 10:24 p.m.

If you're sure," she said, and hesitantly left the room. A couple minutes later, she came back with a knife, a towel, some bandages, and a small pendant. She motioned for them to follow her and she led them to the bedroom. She drew the blinds to the window, and turned off all of the lights in the room. She lit a small candle, and placed it on the bedside table.

"Alright, you can do it in here, I guess," Aerith said, and she left the room and locked the door.

"Okay, Sora," Riku said, and he helped Sora get undressed. He lay flat on the bed, and Riku sat next to him. He opened the book to the saved page, and started to read the directions on the page. He undid all of the bandages on Sora's torso, gave him a quick kiss on the lips, and took off his shirt that was drenched with sweat before he read the rest of the spell.

Riku took the knife, and cut a small a slash in his hand. He let the blood drip onto Sora's stomach. He winced in pain, but nonetheless continued. The contact of the blood made Sora shiver, because he knew that it was Riku's. After a few thick drops of blood had landed, he wrapped up the wound in the bandage. He told Sora to close his eyes, and the younger boy did so, trusting Riku completely.

Riku took a deep breath, and used the pendant to get some of the blood that he had spilt on Sora's stomach. Next, he took the knife, and said, "I'm sorry, Sora," and he made a small cut on Sora's chest. His breath hitched in surprise, and his hand clenched in pain, but didn't do anything else. Riku caught that blood too, and he started to say the spell in the book. Soon the blood started to glow, and soon afterwards, Sora began to glow with a beautiful blue light that was the same color as Sora's eyes.

Riku ran the pendant over every cut and scar on Sora's body. The marks healed instantly, and Riku healed every marking on the creamy flesh. Soon, Sora's skin was completely unmarred, and even the older scars were healed. When Riku stopped concentrating on the small pendant, it stopped glowing, and suddenly, Riku felt exhausted. He collapsed on top of Sora, and the younger boy didn't wake up.

They woke up an hour later, Sora still slightly tired. Riku realized that he was still on top of Sora. He sat up and looked at Sora, who was sleepily trying to wake up. "Riku?" he asked.

"Hey, there," Riku said, looking down at the still naked boy. Suddenly, Riku got a seductive grin on his face. "You know, I do have you in a very compromising position, Sora," he said, putting a hand on Sora's waist.

"Riku …," Sora said, grinning a little at the silver haired boy. "I love you," he said, and pulled Riku's face to his. They kissed for a full five minutes, before they pulled away for breath.

"I love you, too," Riku said, nibbling on Sora's ear, making Sora mewl in pleasure. "I'll never let those men hurt you again, Sora. Not if I can help it," he said, now sucking on Sora's soft neck, and Sora was moaning in pleasure. He licked Sora's ear, and Sora just seemed to melt in Riku's arms. Smirking that he had found the way to make Sora bend to his will whenever he wanted, he started to kiss down Sora's body, growing closer and closer to his creamy waist …

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Riku wrapped two sweaty arms around his newly healed lover. "I love you so much," Riku said, feeling the brunette snuggle against his body. Their sweat became one as they lay in each others arms, expressing their love in ways that words would never be able to do. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Sora," he murmured to the younger boy. 

"Me neither," Sora answered, loving the feeling of Riku's fast beating heart against his skin. He shifted a little, making himself more comfortable as Riku hugged him tighter to his chest. "Riku, you've done so much for me, I don't know how to thank you," Sora said, his voice sounding dreamy and far off.

"You don't need to thank me at all. Just knowing that you're safe and happy is all the reward I need, Sora. As long as you're alive, I'm happy," Riku said, nuzzling the top of the young boy's head.

"Okay, Riku," Sora replied, pulling the blanket over their sweaty bodies. Riku held Sora as the younger boy fell asleep in his arms. Riku lay awake for a little bit after that, admiring the angel in his arms. He tucked a lock of hair behind Sora's hair, moving the damp brown hair that was obscuring the boy's face.

'He's so beautiful,' Riku thought, thinking highly of his lover. 'He doesn't look like he belongs in this world. I don't know how anyone could hurt him like they do. How could anybody cause him pain? Anybody who would is just sick and they deserve to die,' Riku thought. Eventually, he went to sleep, thoughts of Sora floating in his mind.

* * *

_Sora found himself in a large, dark room, completely devoid of all light and sounds. He felt alone, and afraid, and he didn't know what to do. He started running, searching for an exit to this seclusion. He kept running and running, never stopping, just continuing down what seemed like an endless tunnel. "Riku? Riku, where are you?" Sora called out to the endless darkness._

_He continued running, never once stopping. He had to find Riku; he had to have his silver haired savior. "Sora … Sora … Chosen one … He who has the heart of light … Your capture is inevitable. Stop resisting capture, Chosen one. You will be caught," a mysterious voice said, making Sora stop in his tracks. The voice sent shivers up his back, and he looked around for the source. Seeing no one and nothing, Sora just slumped onto the ground._

_"Riku!" Sora yelled again, not expecting an answer. When he didn't receive one, he felt tears well up in his eyes. A lone tear escaped, and slid down Sora's creamy face, and landed on the ground. Suddenly Sora could see a woman in a black robe, holding something that seemed to be struggling against her. Sora couldn't see who or what it was, but he had a feeling that he new. "Riku!" Sora yelled, and sprinted towards the struggling figure. But he had almost reached, when suddenly two large dark creatures rose out of the ground and held him just short of his destination. _

_He saw the struggling figure finally break free, and he saw Riku emerge from the shadows that seemed to surround the woman. Riku sprinted towards Sora, and Sora started struggling to get towards his lover. He kicked and punched and screamed, trying anything to get to Riku. Riku had almost reached him, when two more creatures like the ones holding Sora rose out of the shadows and grabbed Riku, then started to pull him under. "Riku! Riku!" Sora screamed, trying harder than ever to reach Riku. He struggled and struggled as he watched the shadows disappear over the silver hair. "Riku!"_

_Suddenly, he heard a soothing, familiar voice telling him to calm down, and that none of this was real …

* * *

_

_The Next Morning:_

Riku awoke to the screams and thrashings of his little brunette, and he opened his eyes and looked at the younger boy who was screaming the silver haired boy's name over and over. Riku grabbed Sora, trying to get him to stop kicking and smacking, and hugged him tightly. He started murmuring words of comfort to the boy who was screaming his name in fear and distraught. "Sora, Sora, calm down, sweetie! Shh, it's okay, I'm here, I won't let anything hurt you," Riku told the sleeping boy.

Sora started to calm down, and he eventually stopped thrashing. "Riku," Sora whimpered very sadly, making Riku feel sad inside.

"Shh, Sora, wake up. Come on, wake up, it isn't real," Riku said, making his voice as sweet and welcoming as he could. Sora finally started to open his eyes, gently whimpering Riku's name. "Sora?" Riku asked, concerned about his angel.

"Riku?" Sora asked in return, and jumped on top of Riku. "I was so scared! I thought that I had lost you! I saw that – that woman, and she had you, then when you came for me, you disappeared into the shadows!" Sora started rambling, tears spilling from his delicate eyes.

"Shh, its okay, it's okay," Riku soothed, rubbing the boy's still naked back. He pulled Sora onto his lap, the sobbing boy clutching to Riku's chest. After awhile, the younger boy had calmed down, and he turned around in Riku's lap, straddling the older boy. Riku wiped a tear off of Sora's red and swollen face, smiling softly at the younger boy. Sora leaned forward and gave Riku a quick, chaste kiss on the lips. Riku hugged the boy close, and they sat like that for a long time, until they finally had to pull away for breath.

"Sora! Riku! Breakfast's ready!" Aerith called from downstairs, and sure enough, they smelled bacon and eggs coming from downstairs. They got up and got dressed, Sora wearing a green t-shirt and jeans, Riku wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans. They sat at the dining room, and ate the breakfast that Aerith put in front of them. "So, how did the spell work?" she asked, sitting down and eating.

"It worked perfectly!" Sora said, grinning widely. He lifted up the sleeves on his t-shirt, revealing perfectly healed skin. There wasn't a sign that there used to be a scar there before.

"Wow! I've never seen anything like that before. That must have been some powerful healing magic," Aerith said in amazement, examining the skin closer.

"Hey, Aerith, do you mind if I borrow that spell book for a little bit? I want to look at the spells inside of it," Riku asked, finishing off the breakfast.

"Umm, sure, Riku. But be careful. That's a black magic spell book. Lulu gave it to me for safe keeping, once. Good thing she did, otherwise poor little Sora would still be hurt," she replied, rubbing Sora's mass of brown locks.

"Hey! I'm not little!" Sora said, pouting. "What spells did you wanna look at, Riku?" he asked, acting as if nothing had just happened.

"Oh, nothing in particular," Riku replied, giving Sora a quick peck on the cheek. He stood up and took everyone's empty plates to the kitchen. He started to rinse them off, scrubbing with soap and water. Aerith went upstairs toclean the study. Meanwhile, Sora sat there looking slightly confused and flustered.

"Okay," he said, getting up and helping Riku dry off the dishes. "So, are you gonna go out today?" Sora asked, putting a plate in the cupboard.

"No, I thought I'd stay here today and be with you and Aerith," Riku replied, putting the last plate on the shelf in the cupboard. He went upstairs and got the book from their room, and came back downstairs. By that time, Sora had already found the remote to the TV and was watching The Kids Next Door. Riku took a spot in one of the two small armchairs, and started reading the book. He flipped through the pages, absent mindedly ignoring the concerned looks that Sora was shooting him. Sora looked at him in concern half watching the show that he had chosen.

* * *

Two hours later, Riku looked up from the book, and saw that Sora had fallen asleep on the couch. He bookmarked the page that he was looking at, and set it aside. The silver haired boy got up and went over to the sleeping brunette, careful not to wake the sleeping angel. He got on his knees next to Sora, and started to stroke his hair. Sora liked this, and started to mumble in his sleep. Riku smiled down at him, and kissed the top of his head before Aerith came down. She motioned for Riku to come, and he did. She led him upstairs and into the bedroom. 

"So, Riku, enjoying that book?" she asked, after she closed the door so that Sora wouldn't wake up.

"Good," Riku replied, slightly suspicious of why Aerith had led him up here.

"Good. Well, what I really wanted to talk about was that Sora's birthday is tomorrow. Leon, Yuffie, and Cloud are coming back tomorrow for it," Aerith said.

"Well, I need to get Sora a present!" Riku said, knowing exactly what he would get Sora.

"That's just the thing. We can't let you out of the house for awhile," she said, not meeting his eyes.

"What? Why?" Riku asked, surprised. He had been out of the house before, why not now?

"We've heard of an increase of kidnapping activity in this area."

"I can handle those wimps," Riku said arrogantly.

"That's not the point! From what we've heard, they wear black robes just like the people who keep trying to get at Sora."

"Fine, fine," Riku said, defeated. Suddenly, the room that they were in turned black, and a bunch of men in black robes seemed to come out of thin air. There were at least five of them, and Riku immediately took a defensive stance, as well did Aerith. "If you're after Sora, then you are in for a world of hurt!" Riku bellowed at the man. They said nothing, just started to attack. Aerith fired a blizzaga spell, stunning many of the attackers. Riku kicked down two more, but there was just too many of them.

Aerith sent out a large thunder attack, sending three of the robed figures flying. There were feathers all around, because one of Aerith's attacks had blown up one of the pillows. They sent out a large, dark attack, barely missing Riku, but hitting Aerith, and she lay sprawled out across the floor. Riku, determined on winning, kept fighting, trying to take on all of them.

"Firaga!" a woman with fire red hair called out, her hood seemingly to have been burnt by one of Aerith's fire spells. The ball of fire hit Riku in the chest, sending him flying into the wall. Weakly, he stood up, never surrendering.

"Why are you after Sora?" he demanded, leaning against the wall for support.

"Oh, we aren't after Sora this time. We're after you," the lady with red hair said, and knocked a stunned Riku out.

* * *

Sora woke up at the sound of complete and total silence in the house. It wasn't normal. It was an eerie silence, and it Sora shivered slightly at the feeling of it. He stood up quietly and crept upstairs. 'Where are Aerith and Riku?' Sora asked himself as he walked past the empty study. He crept over to the bedroom door, which was shut. It seemed to have a lot of feathers coming from underneath it. He listened at the door, and didn't hear anything. Carefully, he opened the door, and looked inside. He was prepared for anything … or so he thought. 

Inside there was feathers everywhere, some of them covered in a sticky red substance that Sora wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was, even though he already knew. Blood. Aerith was sprawled across the floor very close to the door. There were two robed figures left, one of them holding something that had been covered in a blanket. The one holding the blanket had frizzy red hair, orange eyes, and pale white skin. The other one still had their hood up, but Sora was sure he saw a lock of blonde hair. They looked to be woman, judging by the way that the robes fit them.

The two seemed to be surprised by Sora's intrusion, and jumped when he opened the door. Sora walked into the mess of it all, careful not to step on Aerith. The thing underneath the blanket seemed to be limp. The blanket started to slip off of whatever she was holding. Sora's eyes widened as he saw locks of silver hanging down from it.

"Riku!" Sora cried, never once seeing Riku this way. He dashed forward running straight at the woman holding his best friend and lover. He jumped at the older boy, grabbing him before the lady could summon the portal. They fell to the floor, Sora on top of Riku. He hugged tight to Riku, afraid that if he let go, the lady would take him.

"Looks like we can get two for one," the lady with red hair said. "Alright, let go of him so we can take him, and nobody will get hurt," she said, waiting for Sora to comply. When the younger boy didn't move, she started to get angry. "I said, get off!" she yelled at him, but Sora didn't do anything of the sort.

"NO!" he yelled, hugging closer to Riku.

"Fine, have it your way," she said, and used a lightning attack on Sora. It struck him on the back, opening a large gash on Sora's back. He bit his lip and refused to cry out. He had already been humiliated once by these people, and he would not let it happen again. "Now, let go!" she screamed. "I need to get him back to head quarters!" she said. Then she turned to her companion, and said, go get the decoy."

"Aww, but I wanted to have a little bit of fun, first," the other replied in a girly voice.

"Don't worry, you can have plenty of fun with the boy when we get him back," the first said, turning back to Sora and Riku.

"Fine, but you owe me, Arida," she said, and summoned the portal.

"Now, you, boy, let go of my target," she said, ordering Sora off.

"Let me think … does never in a million years sound good to you, you jerk!" he yelled defiantly, holding Riku. Sora was freaked. He had never seen Riku like this, and he didn't know if he was okay for sure. He was at least breathing, and that was good enough for Sora. At least he would survive. But Sora wasn't sure how long he himself would hold out. The gash on his back really hurt and it was bleeding ferociously. The blood was starting to run down his sides and was staining Riku's clothes.

"You insolent little brat! I'll teach you to insult me," she snarled, and used a fire spell on Sora. The heat was intense and Sora had to do everything not to scream. The fire left burn marks on his back, but Sora still wouldn't let go. He protected Riku with his body, and the only thing that was singed was his jeans. "Now, LET GO!" she roared.

"Never," Sorareplied right before she used an aero attack to send Sora and Riku flying in different directions. He was slammed into the wall, opening a cut on the side of his head. He immediately started crawling towards Riku, who was on the other side of the room, but before he could get there, the lady stepped in the way.

"Nuh uh uh, little boy," she said mockingly, and zapped him with another lightning spell, opening another deep gash and sending Sora barely conscious. "Hmm. Well, while you're here and in my power, I suppose that I should bring you in," she said to a barely conscious Sora, and reached down to grab him. But just as she was about to grab him, he started to glow a bright white, and when she touched him, it seemed to burn her hands. She gave a blood curdling scream, and pulled back immediately.

"Riku …" Sora muttered before falling unconscious.

* * *

_The Next Day:_

When Sora awoke, he was surprised to find himself warm and comfortable. He slowly opened his eyes, and looked around. He was in a newly clean bedroom, which was now without any feathers or blood stains. He tried to sit up, but found he just didn't have the strength to do it. "Riku?" he called. "Aerith?"

He heard some foot steps outside, and the door opened to reveal Leon wearing a pair of black leather pants and awhite t-shirt underneath a gray/black jacket. "So, you're awake, huh? Hey, Aerith, Cloud, Yuffie, Sora's awake!" he called downstairs, and Sora heard a pounding before all three of the before mentioned people filed into the room.

"Sora!" cried Aerith and Yuffie at the same time, and they both ran over to Sora's side.

"Oh, I was so worried!" Yuffie said, and hugged Sora tightly. "When Aerith told me what happened, I came straight here," she said.

"Uuuuh," Sora groaned, and tried to sit up.

"Here, let me help you," Cloud said, and lifted the younger boy into a sitting position.

"Thanks. Uuuuhh … they took Riku," Sora said sadly. "They took Riku!"

"Huh? Riku's here, Sora," Leon said, looking confused.

"Yeah, I moved him to a cot in the study," Aerith added. "What do you mean?"

"But – but I that lady took him! I saw it!" Sora exclaimed, surprised. "So, you're saying that he's here? Can I see him?" Sora asked.

"Umm, well, you see …" Yuffie started but trailed off.

"What?" Sora asked.

"Riku still hasn't woken up," Cloud said. "In fact, he hasn't done anything since that day."

"Then there must be something wrong with him," Sora said, trying to get up.

"No, you shouldn't get up, you need your rest," said a voice from behind all of them. Startled, they looked around and saw that it was Riku, up and walking.

"Riku!" everyone exclaimed.

"Riku, you're okay!" Sora exclaimed.

"Yes, I'm fine," he said, slightly monotonously, but Sora didn't pay that any mind. He leaned back against the pillows again, and watched as Riku walked over and sat on the end of the bed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Sora replied, feeling for the cuts on his back.

"Oh, I healed those," Aerith said, watching the younger boy.

"Oh," Sora said, a slight blush coming to his cheeks.

"Well, since everybody is awake, it's time for the party!" Yuffie said, putting on a cheery face.

"What party?" Riku and Sora asked in unison.

"Well, Sora, today's your birthday!" Yuffie said, bouncing up and down.

"Happy birthday, Sora," Cloud said, leaning against the wall next to Leon.

"Your 15, now," Aerith said.

"Wait. Huh? Today's my birthday?" Sora asked, confused.

"Yep! Now I'll go get the cake!" Yuffie said, and bounced out the open door.

"I'll go get some drinks," Aerith said, following the hyper girl out of the room. Sora looked at Riku, who was just sitting on the edge of the bed. He looked over at Cloud and Leon, who was currently occupied. The brunette was attacking the blonde's neck, and Cloud was moaning in pleasure.

"Hey, guys? We're still here," Sora said, laughing at how his friends didn't care for privacy.

"Fine. We'll be back in fifteen minutes," Leon growled, dragging Cloud out of the room.

"Leon, not so rough!" Cloud yelled as he was dragged out into the hallway. Sora laughed at their abruptness, and looked back over at Riku who was still just sitting there. Sora looked at him confusedly. Riku usually would have been all snuggly by now, especially since they had both been rather badly hurt. Riku moved closer to Sora, and with great effort, the brunette snuggled up closer to Riku. He wrapped his arms around the silver haired boy and buried his face in his chest. He inhaled Riku's scent, and something smelled … wrong.

"Riku? You don't smell like roses anymore," Sora said, slightly flustered.

"Oh, it's a new soap that I'm using," he said in return. Sora closed his eyes and waited for Riku to wrap his arms around him, except he never did. He heard Aerith and Yuffie coming up the stairs, so he let go and lay back on the pillows. The two girls came in, one holding a cake and many plates and forks, and the other carrying a pitcher of juice and cups.

"Hey, where'd Leon and Cloud go?" Yuffie asked after looking around the room.

"Oh, they said they'd be back in about ten minutes," Sora said, forcing cheerfulness into his voice. The oblivious Yuffie didn't seem to notice, but Aerith did.

"Hey, Riku, could you get some napkins and go find Leon and Cloud for us?" she asked, and the boy went off to do as he was told. After they were alone, Aerith asked, "Sora, are you sure your okay?"

"I'm fine, it's just … Is Riku mad at me?" he asked, on the verge of crying. "He won't kiss me or hold me, and he didn't seem to really want to be here," he said, trying to keep the tears from falling.

"I don't see why he would be mad at you," Yuffie said, giving Sora a hug.

"Yeah, you risked your life to save him," Aerith said, also giving him a quick hug. "I bet he's just feeling moody right now. He'll be back to his old self in no time."

"Okay," Sora said, holding back tears. He used his hand to wipe them up, and decided that he wanted to go downstairs. With a little help from Leon and Cloud – who had turned up a few minutes after they sent Riku out all sweaty and hot – they made their way downstairs. Sora collapsed on the couch, and Riku sat in the arm chair a little ways away from him.

Sora watched him sadly, as Cloud and Leon sat in a small couch over to the side while Aerith sat in the other armchair. Yuffie plopped down next to Sora, and turned on the TV. She found some movie that she liked, and started cutting the cake that she had brought. She handed a piece to everybody, and then took one for herself. Aerith poured drinks for everyone, and sat back down.

They ate the food and drinks, and watched the movie that Yuffie had chosen. Sora was looking sadly at Riku, who didn't seem to even notice how Sora was feeling. Leon did, and shot an angry glare towards the silver haired boy, who didn't notice either.

Cloud looked like he was about ready to murder him, but otherwise didn't do or say anything.

After awhile, Riku suddenly looked like he was taking an interest in Sora. "Hey, Sora," he said, "Can I talk to you upstairs?"

Sora was caught off guard, looked up in surprise and said, "Oh, umm, sure, Riku!" He let Riku help him get up and start to climb the stairs. Cloud stiffened in his seat, but Leon pinned him down to the couch with his arm. Cloud, Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie were left downstairs, sitting in silence. Aerith checked her watch, and realized that it was almost 3:00.

"Yuffie! We said we'd pick up Lulu at the airport at 3:00," Aerith said, standing up.

"Oh, yeah!" Yuffie replied, springing up next to her. "Leon, Cloud, could you guys watch the house while we're out?"

"Sure," Leon answered nonchalantly.

"Alright, we'll be back in twenty minutes! Bye!" Aerith said as she walked outside, Yuffie right behind her.

"So, we're all alone down here, right?" Cloud asked, scooting closer to Leon.

"Sure are," he replied, pinning the blonde to the couch. The leather clad Leon started to lightly suck on Cloud's neck, making the blonde grasp the brunette's locks in pleasure. They had only been alone for five minutes, when they heard some very disturbing noises from upstairs.

"Stop it, Riku!" they heard Sora yell in a choked voice, and then a loud, anguished scream.

Leon and Cloud just looked at each other. "Sora!" they yelled, then clambered up the stairs to the younger boy's room.

* * *

**Author's Sugar High Ramblings:**

Meh heh! I'm so mean for leaving a cliffie. Especially because this will probably be my last update for a little while. School is starting soon! ((groans)) So, now I need to figure out the best routes from my classes, and the best times to stop at my locker. I also need to figure out when my friend's and crush's classes are … So yeah. I'll try to update as soon as possible, but that may be a while. If you're really curious about how many pages I've written, check my bio page. I update that about everyday. I stillhave toread my summer reading books! Great. Just, don't flame me for the cliffie! Oh, and if you look closely, I've added a few hints as to **_why _**Riku is acting all strange. In the next chapter, you'll find out why, and a few other problems will be revealed … So anyways, please review if you're reading this story! It's driving me nuts! Plus, there's a good chance that I'll get the chapter out faster if you review. I review every story that I read, so you should too! Oh, and I figured out how to make the story a _little _bit longer. Well, review and Ja Ne!

P.S.: If you're wondering, the song belongs to Utada Hikaru! You can't sue me now!


	8. The Sound of a Breaking Heart

**Silver Haired Savior**

**The Sound of a Breaking Heart**

**Date Started:** 8/8/05  
**Date Finished:** 8/24/05

**Disclaimer:** I, in no way own Kingdom Hearts or the song! Don't sue me!

**Authoress' Note:**  
Okay, so, here's the next chapter. I must warn you right now. **Warning: Heavy T rating on this chapter!** I must say that for the first part of this chapter, and later parts. Do not flame me for the first part! It will all be explained, so please read all of it before reviewing! Sorry it took so long! School started and it is EVIL! Save me ... ((crickets chirping)) well, fine then! I guess you'll just have to wait for updates, won't you? Since this chapter took so long to come out, I made sure that it was extra long! It was 21 pages typed! This chapter is dedicated to DieChan, Ayeshagirl, starryskydragon, AnimeDutchess, thekeybladegirl, and AnimeDragonofFire.

* * *

_10 minutes earlier_

Riku and Sora had just gotten up the stairs, and Riku gently helped him into the bedroom. He turned his back to Sora, and locked the door with a small click. When he turned back to Sora, he had an evil glint in his eyes that Sora had never seen before. He looked in fear at Riku but tried to put on a brave face.

"Umm, Riku? Why have you been so mad at me late –," Sora started, but was cut off when Riku roughly grabbed him and threw him on to the bed. He screamed in shock, but it was muffled by the bed. He looked up at Riku, who was advancing to the bed with a malicious grin that scared Sora badly. "Riku, what's wrong with you?" Sora asked, tears in his eyes.

"Shut up," he said, and slapped Sora on the face. His nails scratched Sora's face, creating 4 little beads of blood to form. Sora winced at the stinging sensation this caused and a lone tear trickled down his face, but he was determined not to cry in front of Riku.

"Riku, look at yourself! What's wrong with you? You're supposed to protect me! Love me! Did I do something wrong? Why do you hate me?" Sora cried anguished, on the verge of crying. Did Riku hate him?

"Heh. I have to save your sorry ass day in and day out, and you dare to ask me that? Pathetic," he said, and pounced on to the bed. He started to take Sora's shirt off of his slender body, which was shaking in fear and sadness.

"Riku," Sora whined. "What did they do to you?" he asked, tears streaming down his face. Riku slammed his mouth onto Sora's, and the brunette could feel the coppery substance of blood in his mouth. Riku's kisses were no longer gentle and loving like they used to be, but rough and uncaring. Riku finally pulled up for air, leaving Sora's lips bruised, swollen, and cracked, blood flowing from his mouth from the harshness of the kiss. He smirked evilly at the younger boy who looked like he had just been betrayed.

"They didn't do anything to me, except show me the truth, kid. This is how I am now," he said, taking off his own shirt to reveal strong muscles. He used the shirt to tie Sora's wrists tightly to the bars at the top of the bed. "What don't like it?" he asked in a mocking tone.

"Riku … I thought you loved me …" he said trailing off, feeling his heart clench in pain at the older boy's harsh words and mocking tone.

"Maybe I did once. But the truth is, Sora, how could I ever love a weak, naïve, and stupid orphan brat like you? I hate you," he said, undoing the clasps on Sora's pants. Those few words broke his fragile heart. It had been broken before, but not like this. It crushed his hopes and dreams. The shards of his heart were small and fragmented, making him doubt whether it would ever be able to be fixed again. His sapphire eyes lost their spark, and became hollow and lifeless. His breath came out in ragged puffs. The few words echoed in his ears, and the many pieces of his heart caused him pain every time he heard them in his head.

By now, Riku had gotten the clothes off of Sora so he was lying naked on the bed, crying his eyes out. He stripped the rest of his own clothes off, and by the time Sora realized what he was going to do, it was almost too late.

"Wh – what are you doing?" Sora cried.

"I'm going to fuck you until you can't walk anymore," he told the younger boy who had wide eyes, tears splashing out of them as he gazed into the face of the silver haired boy.

"St - stop it, Riku!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, but his pleas didn't seem to affect Riku.

"Come on, Sora, scream for me," Riku muttered as he grabbed Sora's ass. He positioned himself at Sora's entrance, and rammed in, making Sora scream loudly in anguish and in pain. His nails dug into the sheets and pillows that surrounded him, the pain hurting him so much. Riku started thrusting in and out of the brunette roughly, making Sora feel a strange wetness between his legs. He realized that it was blood, and he started crying once again, wondering why his once lover was raping him and being so cruel. Riku seemed to be enjoying himself as he tortured the younger boy. They heard a banging at the door, and some voices from the outside.

"It's locked!" they heard a voice that sounded like Cloud say.

"Well, try pushing it open!" they heard Leon yell back.

"It won't budge!" Cloud yelled.

"Oh, what the hell!" Leon yelled, and kicked down the door. Cloud and Leon burst into the room, and what they saw shocked them to no extent. They saw Riku pleasuring himself using Sora's body. Sora looked heartbroken and very upset, and you could tell that he wasn't enjoying any of this. They noticed the blood that was slowly pooling around Sora, soaking the sheets and covering the two boys. "Sora …" Leon whispered, shocked.

"Riku!" Cloud yelled in a rage, and flung himself at the silver haired boy. He knocked Riku off of Sora, and slammed him up against the wall. "Squall, get Sora out of here," he yelled, holding Riku against the wall. Leon untied Sora from the bed, and grabbed the boy's boxers on the way out. He took him out to a corner of the hallway, and told him to put on his clothes. The younger boy put on his boxers and put himself in the fetal position in the corner of the hallway.

Leon reentered the room, and saw Cloud beating the crud out of Riku. But as he watched, he noticed something very strange about it. Even though Riku should have been a bloody pulp, there wasn't a drop of blood to be found. "Cloud! Look!" he said, and pulled his lover off of the silver haired jerk. "Cloud, do you notice anything?" he asked, restraining him.

"Lemme at him! I warned him not to ever hurt Sora, and he was raping him!" Cloud yelled, struggling ferociously against Leon.

"But look! He isn't bleeding, even after the sound thrashing that you've given him," Leon said, and Cloud immediately stopped struggling.

"You're right," Cloud said, and narrowed his eyes at 'Riku'. "What are you? You aren't Riku," he spat at the creature, which in return looked up at him with an evil grin on his face.

"You're right. I'm not Riku. I am his replica," the creature sneered. "And I don't know why you are so upset, I was just… playing with Sora," he said.

"Shut up, you jerk," Leon said, kicking the replica hard. "Where'd you put the real Riku? Answer me!" he yelled.

"The real Riku is in an abandoned warehouse. Rescue him … if you can!" he said, laughing at the enraged faces on the two men. Leon drew his gunblade and with one slash put an end to the fake Riku's laughing. The creature seemed to melt into darkness, and Leon let go of Cloud.

"Come on, we have to make sure that Sora's all right," Leon said, gathering up the rest of Sora's discarded clothes.

"Well of course he's not all right! He was just raped and had his heart broken, both by the same person who he thought was his lover!" said Cloud, taking the clothes from Leon. He walked outside and saw the huddled up boy in the corner. He walked over to the brunette, and tried to get him to get up. "Come on, Sora. That wasn't Riku. You need to put on some clothes," Cloud cooed, shaking the boy gently.

"Riku … Riku … Riku …" the boy chanted over and over, not hearing a word that anyone was saying.

"He must still be in shock," Cloud said, and forced the boy into a sitting position. He put Sora's clothes back on the boy, and when he let go, the boy just fell over and lay in the fetal position again. Leon sighed and went downstairs to wait for Aerith and Yuffie. Cloud stayed up there with Sora, petting his back. Sora never stopped chanting Riku's name in a sad voice, making Cloud hurt on the inside. He kept saying things to help him feel better.

When he heard everyone come in downstairs, he got up and walked downstairs where he saw Yuffie and Aerith with Lulu. "Hey guys," he said, sitting on the couch.

"Where's Sora and Riku?" asked Yuffie.

"Well … about that …" Leon started, rubbing the back of his head.

"Riku … well he … it wasn't him …" Cloud started.

"Spit it out," Lulu said, getting frustrated and impatient.

"Well, you see that Riku that you found wasn't really Riku. It was a fake replica of him, and he … you see he …" Cloud said, trailing off again.

"He raped Sora and broke his heart by telling him things that couldn't be farther from the truth," Leon finished.

"He … raped Sora?" Yuffie asked, still in shock. She ran upstairs to go see Sora.

"So that wasn't Riku? You mean that _they_ have him?" Aerith asked, referring to the people in black robes, her eyes wide.

"The Riku replica said that they have him in the abandoned warehouse," Leon said.

Yuffie came back downstairs. "He's really taking this hard. He doesn't seem to hear anything. All he can do is rock back and forth chanting Riku's name," she said, urgency in her voice, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"I tried explaining to him that it wasn't really Riku, but he didn't seem to hear me," Cloud said sadly.

"Let me see him," Lulu said, and went up the stairs. Everyone followed her up, and saw Sora still laying in the fetal position. He was rocking back and forth, still chanting Riku's name. Lulu bent over him and tried to talk to him, but to no avail. Finally, she had to give up. She stood up and said, "Poor boy. He's suffering from a broken heart. Nothings going to heal this unless we get the real Riku back. Otherwise, it's going to be a long and painful journey on the way to recovery. Aerith go get some food," she ordered, and the brunette ran downstairs and came back with some grapes.

"I'll do it," Yuffie said, and took the grapes from Aerith. She kneeled next to Sora and started to shove the grapes gently into his mouth. "Chew," she said, and he did so, but only because he was used to taking orders from Yuffie. "Swallow," she ordered, and he did so.

Lulu sighed and said, "We can't keep this up forever. We're going to have to find Riku, otherwise he'll never heal."

"Well, we know that he's in an abandoned warehouse, but which one?" Aerith asked.

"We … don't know. All he said was an abandoned warehouse, not which one," Cloud said.

"Well that's just great! There's only, like, twenty of them!" Yuffie said, sarcasm dripping off of every word.

"I guess there's only one way to find out," Leon said. "We'll just have to split up and check all of them. We should probably start now, because there's so many of them."

"Hold on," Aerith said, and she went into the study. She came back out with a map of Traverse Town and a marker. She unfolded it, and marked off where all of the warehouses were. "Okay, I'll take those," she said, marking off a few random ones. Everyone else chose some random ones as well, until all of them were taken. "So lets all choose one, and we'll check that one first," she said, and they all decided to check one of theirs.

"Wait, don't you think someone should stay with Sora?" Yuffie asked while looking with concern at the boy still huddled up in the corner.

"I'll stay," Lulu volunteered. "I need a little break from having to run everything anyways. Some rest would be nice."

"Okay," Aerith said, and then folded up the map. "We should go now. The sooner we can find Riku, the sooner Sora can stop hurting like this."

"Alright, let's go," Leon said, standing up. "Move out." They all got up and went over to the door.

"Lulu, take care of Sora. He's very delicate," Cloud said before leaving the house. They all went in different directions, each taking a different way. Leon and Cloud went down to the third district and split up, figuring that they would most likely be keeping him in a warehouse up here. Leon took one in the north end, and Cloud took a warehouse in the south end. Aerith went up to the 4th district and took one of the old warehouses there, while Yuffie went to the first district. They searched and searched, but nobody found the missing boy. Dejectedly, they all went back to Aerith's house.

When they arrived Lulu looked up hopefully from her place on the couch where she had moved Sora. Yuffie, the last to come in, just nodded her head sadly, and collapsed onto the couch next to Aerith.

"We'll have to try again tomorrow, first thing in the morning," Leon said, resting in one of the armchairs.

* * *

_The next day:_

Riku awoke at a pain in his wrists and ankles, and he wondered why. He gently opened his eyes and found himself in a musty and very dirty warehouse. He was chained to the wall tightly, and he immediately wondered why he was here. Suddenly the events of the other night came flooding back to him, and he hung his head sadly.

'I … I failed,' thought sadly. 'They … they beat me! Who knows what they're doing to Sora at this moment? They're probably hurting him right now. I have to get out of here!' Riku told himself and started to struggle against the chains holding him to the wall. This only succeeded in getting him giving him large cuts on his wrists and ankles where the metal cut into his flesh. He eventually gave up, and hung his head again.

"I'm so sorry, Sora," he said quietly to himself.

"You're not still dwelling on him, are you?" a voice before him said, and he immediately recognized who it was.

"Larxene, you bitch! Let me go right now!" Riku yelled, outraged, and tried going after her, struggling against the chains once more.

"Temper, temper," she said with a small giggle. "We'll have to do something about that, won't we?" she said, talking in a baby voice to Riku.

"Go to hell! Let me go!" Riku yelled again.

"Don't worry, we'll have all the fight out of you by the end of the week," Larxene said in reply, and walked up right next to Riku. "You know, you really should come over to our side, Riku. There really are a lot of perks that you would like," she said, nibbling on Riku's ear.

"Oh, yeah? Like what?" Riku spat at her, trying to pull his head away from the girl.

"Well, for one, you wouldn't have to be chained up to this wall. Another is that you can do whatever you want to the prisoners as long as Number 1 doesn't want them to his self. And, since he only wants that little brat of yours, it means I can do this!" she said, and grabbed Riku's nether regions. He yelped in surprise, and tried to jerk away from her touch.

"Bitch!" Riku snarled at her. "Don't ever do that again, you hear me? If you do, I will personally rip off your head and shove it where the sun don't shine!" Riku's eyes were full of hatred, and looked about ready to follow through on his threat. She just kept fondling with his crotch, and didn't look at all disturbed by his death threat.

"Careful, or my feelings might get hurt," she said, and slammed her mouth on his. He tasted blood in his mouth and tried to pull away but couldn't. She started grinding against him,and he felt like he was going to be sick.When she finally did pull away, she had an evil smirk on her face.

"Damn you," he spat at her, but her smirk didn't falter. In fact, it got bigger.

"I wouldn't be one to toss around insults, if I were you," she said, wincing slightly at the death glare that Riku shot at her after he regianed his composure. "Especially after what happened to Sora yesterday, it might happen to you too …"

"What happened to Sora?" Riku asked, all previous thoughts and new insults pushed out of his mind.

"Maybe I shouldn't tell you," she said, putting her hood up and starting to walk away.

"NO! No, tell me!" Riku begged from his place on the wall.

"Well, let's just say that he won't be putting his trust in _anyone_ for a _very_ long time," she said, and walked away.

"What?" Riku asked, confused. 'But he trusts me …' Riku thought to himself. 'Sora, what have they done to you?'

* * *

Leon, Cloud, Aerith, and Lulu all went out that morning. They searched more warehouses while Yuffie stayed home with Sora that day. The young brunette still hadn't moved from the spot where Lulu had moved him. He seemed to be in an almost trance like state. 

Yuffie felt sorry for the poor kid. His heart was fractured and there was nothing she could do for him. She stroked his hair gently and watched as he continued mumbling nonsense in a strangled voice. He had been doing that all night, and every time that he fell asleep, he would wake up either screaming or crying. He looked a mess, with his hair unkempt and bags under his eyes.

Yuffie continued to stroke his hair, trying to get the boy to eat some food. She couldn't let him starve. But he wasn't really trying to eat whatever she fed him, and she often times had to force feed him.

"I want Riku …" Sora murmured still in a little ball.

"Sora," Yuffie sighed as she lay back against the couch. She had been trying to feed him for over an hour, and she had finally decided to give up after awhile. "I'll try again later," she muttered tiredly.

"But Riku … betrayed me …" he mumbled out.

"It wasn't Riku," Yuffie tried explaining again, but she knew that it was a useless attempt. Lulu said someone had to always watch him, because no one knew what he might do while he's like this. They didn't want him doing something drastic, like committing suicide or something. She just watched the television for awhile, gently stroking the boy's hair, keeping him safe. At about noon she heard the door burst open and she looked up to see a very disgruntled Cloud and Leon, obviously disappointed at not finding Riku yet. They jumped on the couch and leaned on each other, just relaxing with each other.

"No luck, huh?" Yuffie asked the two men, who looked exhausted.

"None. Not even a clue as to where he might be!" Leon said tiredly. "I'm going to go take a shower. That last warehouse was dirty! Cobwebs and dust everywhere," Leon said, climbing the stairs.

"I'll join you," Cloud said, following his boyfriend up. Yuffie shook her head as the two went up and went back to stroking the brunette's locks. But not long after, Aerith, followed by Lulu returned. When Yuffie looked up, all they did was shake their heads sadly.

"Gods, were did they take Riku, anyways?" Yuffie asked herself, slowly getting up, careful not to wake the boy who had just fallen asleep. She stretched and went over to the kitchen.

"Well, I don't know where they took him, but he's not wherever we've been looking. Poor Sora," Aerith said.

"I figured that we'd just come back here to grab a quick lunch and then continue looking. Are Leon and Cloud back yet?" Lulu asked, but she soon realized that she didn't need to, because they heard some very loud moans and groans coming from the bathroom, being amplified by the water and walls of the bathroom. "Never mind," she said, and sat down.

Yuffie grabbed the bag of potato chips and some sandwiches that were in the fridge and sat back down on the couch. She handed out some sandwiches to everyone in the room and took one for herself. They ate in silence, the only sounds heard being either from Sora or some "anonymous" moaning from the upstairs shower. They finished the small lunch, and Yuffie noticed that Aerith seemed exhausted.

"Hey, Aerith, are you okay?" the raven haired girl asked with concern towards her friends condition.

"Yeah, it's just … I feel that this is my fault that Sora is like this. If I'd have just realized that whatever raped Sora wasn't Riku, maybe Sora would be able to help us find Riku sooner," the emerald eyed girl sobbed.

"It's okay," Yuffie said, trying to comfort her friend. "You look like you could use a rest. I'll take over for you, and check out some of my spots," Yuffie offered, prepared to argue if she needed to.

"Ummm … sure," Aerith gave in, knowing that Yuffie would be persistent otherwise.

"Great!" the spunky girl said, standing up. Aerith sat down next to Sora, while Lulu and Yuffie headed for the door.

"Tell those two boys up there to get moving when they come down," Lulu said, before she left the house. 10 minutes later, Leon and Cloud came down, and Aerith told them that the girls had already left, and then gave them a quick lunch. She sent them out afterwards, and went and sat by Sora to wait for their return.

* * *

_The next morning:_

Riku was exhausted. In the last two days he hadn't been able to sleep at all. He had been tortured severely, and he didn't know how much longer he could last. He had numerous cuts along his body, his pale skin bleeding in the dim sunlight that was just coming in through one of few windows that lined the top of the building. There was just enough light to see Riku's thin figure. He was now shirtless and he was still chained to the dirty wall in the warehouse.

But none of that really concerned him; at least, not right now. The only thing on his mind right now was Sora. What could Larxene have meant by all those riddles? She had given him two clues as to why he kept having this growing feeling that something was wrong with his brunette angel. He knew that Sora really needed him; to take the pain away.

"_He has a million wounds, yet not a cut is on him,_" he remembered Larxene telling him yesterday. No matter how much he begged, pleaded, even threatened, she wouldn't tell him what was wrong with Sora.

Sitting in his lonely silence, he suddenly heard a door open somewhere in the distance. He lifted his head half heartedly and saw someone wearing one of those black robes. He let his head drop once again.

"So, how are you feeling?" a females voice asked, and Riku didn't even have to look up to know that it was Larxene come to torment him again. 'How was he feeling?' Right now Riku felt like just collapsing and crying. But most of all he just wanted to feel Sora in his arms again.

"Leave me alone, Larxene," Riku snarled. He really didn't feel like dealing with her right now.

"Aww, that's no way to talk to somebody who decided to come visit you in this dreary, dirty place. I really don't see why you won't join us. It would get you out of this disgusting place. My offer's still open, you know," she said, moving closer to Riku.

"Stay away from me!" Riku yelled angrily. She just ignored him and started running her hand against Riku's strong chest. The silver haired boy absolutely hated the feeling of her hands on his body. It made him feel dirty.

"It could be fun, you know. It would be just like old times," she said, and leaned up to kiss him. She captured the lips that were only supposed to be for Sora in a rough kiss, cracking his lips once more. He tried to pull away, but it was useless. She eventually let go, and looked at the distraught boy, an evil smirk on her face. "You know, if you really can't stop thinking about that little brunette brat, maybe I should just get rid of him. It probably won't be too hard; the kid looks like a weak little slut."

"Don't you _dare_ call Sora a slut, you bitch! Sora's a god compared to you filth! Touch him and I WILL kill you!" Riku yelled, his body shaking with anger.

"A god?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "More like a ghost, after I get rid of him," she said, mocking the boy's rage. She turned to leave, leaving the furious boy alone in the giant warehouse.

"Lemme go!" Riku screamed after her, but she ignored him, and shut the door. He hung his head, and let out a barely audible sob. "Sora … Sora, this time it's me who needs saving …"

* * *

_My heart is shattered in a million pieces, but still I can find a million reasons why I still love you …_

Sora stared at the ground, his eyes practically glued to one spot on the ground. He had finally started to gather up the pieces of his broken heart, but he still felt like he was missing a large part of himself. It felt like eating your weight in food, yet still being on the brink of starvation. It felt like drinking the entire ocean, yet still be dying of thirst. He needed something, and that something was Riku.

**_Someone always get their heart stomped to the ground,  
_**_**This is what I see every time I look around.  
**_**_I never thought that this would happen to me,  
_****_I never thought I would end up this way.  
_****_And now that you're through with me,  
_**_**Don't know what to do with me.  
**__**Guess I'm on my own again.  
**__**Like some kind of enemy,  
**__**Never a friend to me.  
**__**Remember when you used to say  
**__**Things will always be this way?**_

'Riku … I – I want him. I NEED him. But … he betrayed me. He raped me. He smashed my heart, and left without nary a word or an explanation. Does he even care what happens to me? Was he lying to me when he said that he loved me? Was I just some cheap fuck that he was planning on leaving all alone the entire time?

'These thoughts keep replaying in my head, but … I can't help but feel that this just isn't true. He saved me, loved me … protected me. He made me feel like I was actually worth something to someone. He took me into his home, fed me, made me his lover. He made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Before the other day, his kisses were gentle, loving, even. Why? Why did he change? What did I do to make him hate me? He said that he loved me, and I believed him. I saw the sincerity in his eyes.'

**_Why don't break my heart,  
_**_**Watch me fall apart, you see.  
**_**_I'm falling apart look what you're doing to me._**

Sora looked up at the older boy next to him. Today was Leon's turn to stay with him. He saw him talking, but he didn't hear anything that he was saying. He had a feeling that they were telling him something important, and it's not that he didn't want to listen, he just … couldn't.

_**Now I try to get my heart up off the ground  
**__**My confidence is gone, happiness cannot be found.  
**__**So look what you did to me, you got the best of me,  
**__**And now I'm stuck with all the rest.  
**_**_It will never be the same._**

"_One day, you will be happy, and we'll go off together, away from all of our troubles. One day we'll be together. I promise you."_

'I remember Riku telling me that, once.'

_**Why don't you  
**__**Break my heart, watch me fall apart, you see.  
**__**I'm falling apart, look what you're doing to me.**_

"_You are my light, Sora._"

'He said that, but did he really mean it?'  
_**  
Why don't you  
**__**Break my heart, watch me fall apart, you see.  
**__**I'm falling apart, look what you're doing to me.**_

"_Sora, I promise you. I will always protect you._"

'Yeah, but too bad you couldn't protect me from yourself,' Sora thought bitterly.

**_All I ever wanted has left me standing here alone.  
_**_**It started with you and ended with me.  
**_**_All I ever needed, I had it with you in my arms.  
_**_**It started with you and ended with me.**_

"_Sora, I always want us to stay connected, even if we are far apart._"

'Riku said that to me the night he gave me this,' Sora thought, stroking the silver crown that still hung around his neck. 'Did he mean what he said all those times? I thought he truly meant it … I mean, I could see the truth in his eyes … but then why did he … do that to me?

_**Break my heart, watch me fall apart you see.  
**__**I'm falling apart, look what you're doing to me.  
**__**Why don't you break my heart,  
**__**Watch me fall apart, you see.  
**__**I'm falling apart, look what you're doing to me.  
**__**Why don't you break my heart,  
**__**Watch me fall apart, you see.  
**__**I'm falling apart, look what you're doing to me.**_

'You know, now that I think about it, he was acting kinda weird. Maybe that wasn't him … but it had to be him. Why wouldn't it be him? I feel kinda weird … I need someone to hold me … no, not just _someone_, I need … I need Riku. To hold me. I need him to kiss me, to hug me … to just … _love_ me. Riku come back,' Sora thought, as he drifted into a dark sleep. "… Riku …"

_**Why don't you  
**_**_Break my heart,  
_**_**Break my heart,  
**__**Break my heart,  
**__**Break my heart,  
**__**Break my heart,  
**__**Break my heart,  
**__**Break my heart …

* * *

**_

_Sora was in dark room. There was no light. Dust and dirt surrounded him. His entire body hurt, just like when his stepfather and his stepfather's pet used to torture him. He could feel his exposed skin, and he knew that he was only wearing a pair of boxers around his slim waist. His hair was dirty as it hung around his shoulders, tickling his shoulders and chest. _

'_Wait a second … my hair isn't that long! What's going on?' the boy thought. He could see a little bit of moonlight shining down his pale skin, and he saw … silver hair? 'It's just like Riku's …' Sora thought._

_He heard the door open, and the young boy looked up to see a woman with blonde hair standing there, an evil smirk on her face. _

"_Well, I'm off to take care of your little brat," she said, and Sora felt that he knew who she was talking about. Himself. "Got any last words, before I send him to go live with Hades?"_

'_How do I respond to that?' " …"_

"_Wow, you really do hate him, don't you? Don't worry, we'll be together soon," she said, and turned to leave. He saw a number painted on the door. It said 2478. _

'_Why does that number stick out?' He heard the door shut with a loud slam, and he let his head hang again. Suddenly, he heard a voice in his head._

"_Sora, help me," the voice said. It sounded like Riku was … crying? "Save me, Sora."_

"_Riku?" Sora asked. _

"_Sora …" the voice said, getting fainter and fainter._

"_No, Riku, come back!" Sora yelled._

'_2478'

* * *

_

Leon woke with a start as the younger boy next to him started to thrash around, chanting nonsense.

"2478!" the boy screamed.

"2478? Huh?" Leon asked, wondering why that number sounded familiar. Then he realized that was one of the warehouse numbers on his list. He moved Sora upstairs into the bedroom, worried that with all the thrashing he might hurt himself if he stayed on the couch. There was more room on the bed. Leon deposited the boy on the bed, then took off downstairs and out the door. He rushed to the second district, and started looking for the warehouse that Riku was in.

* * *

Riku was still chained to the wall, and he felt … dirty. And it wasn't the actual dirt and dust that always seemed to be in the place. It was the fact that he now didn't have any clothes on, and the fact that he could feel _their_ cold, dirty hands exploring his body. There was at least two of them right now, touching his body right now, but he wasn't going to open his eyes to find out. 

There was too much pain and fear gripping his heart. He couldn't sense Sora with him any more. He didn't know why, he just … couldn't. What he really feared was the answer as to why. Sora couldn't be … you know … dead. He just can't be. But why else couldn't he feel the brunette with him anymore?

He was lost in thought when he heard the door slam open. 'Great, someone else here to degrade me,' Riku thought bitterly. Which was why he was immensely surprised when he heard the newcomer speak.

"What the fuck? Get your sick hands off of him!" the voice yelled.

'Wait … I know that voice!' Riku thought excited. He was finally being saved. He opened his eyes and saw the taller brunette standing there. "Leon!" Riku yelled.

"Alright, get away from him," the man yelled, drawing his gunblade. They came at him, and he cut down two with the long sword. He rushed forward, dodging spells as he came. He cut down the other two that were there, and slashed at the last one. They lay on the ground unmoving. Whether they were dead or not, Riku couldn't tell. With the last one defeated, Leon undid the chains that bound the naked boy to the wall. He fell to the floor as soon as he tried to stand up, weak from days of being pinned to the wall and his own weariness from being tortured. Leon found an old robe laying on the ground, and he used that to give Riku something to cover up in. Once he was properly dressed, Leon helped the boy to stand, and they slowly started to make their way towards the exit.

"L-Leon," Riku stuttered, using much of his energy trying to walk. "Something's … wrong with Sora! I can't … feel him, anymore. Leon, we need to hurry!"

"Alright, we'll hurry, 'cause you seem to know best about these things." He put Riku on his back, and started to run towards the house.

* * *

_Meanwhile:_

Sora had just woken up from his dream, sweat practically dripping off of him. Somehow his shirt had come off during his struggle, and lay uselessly at his side. He sat up, breathing heavily. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, and started to pick up the shirt. He clutched it to his chest, trying to think of what the dream meant. He sat there, staring in a daze, at the room around him.

"How did I get here?" Sora whispered. He stared at the shirt that he clutched in his hand. It was Riku's shirt. "Riku, I hope you're okay, wherever you went," the young brunette whispered.

"Oh, he's just fine … for now," a female voice in the corner said. He looked up in surprise and saw two people wearing black robes. They were obviously two women, judging by their figures.

"Wh-what do you want?" Sora cried, panic stricken.

"Why, what a silly question to ask! We want you of course," one of the woman replied, and Sora sat up straighter on the bed. That was the voice of the woman that had tried to take Riku a couple days ago.

"Why won't you leave us alone? We haven't ever done anything to you!" he cried, his thin figure shaking with fear.

"Yes, but you see, you did do something to me. You stole my boyfriend!" the other woman said. She lowered her hood, and the other did the same.

"I didn't steal him! He – he chose to love me! Well, he _did_," Sora said sadly.

"You're all that he thinks about and all that he cares about," the blonde woman said, her voice just dripping with bitterness. "And the only way to get him to stop thinking about you is to get rid of you, now."

"But Riku … he hates me. He raped me," Sora replied, tears running down his cheeks. "He left me here all alone. You guys did something to him!"

"You still haven't figured it out, have you? The Riku you saw –"

"Enough chit-chat, Arida, we need to take care of him, here and now, so I can go be with my toy," the blonde said, and moved closer to Sora, who in return started to scramble backwards.

"But Larxene, don't you think the kid at least deserves to know the truth before you kill him?" the red head asked.

"Well if he does deserve to hear it, I don't really care. It's just a waste of breath and time; time that I should be spending with Riku!" Larxene yelled, and came close enough to Sora that he could feel her breath against his exposed chest. "So, how do ya want to die, brat? Slow and painful, or quick and easy? Either way is fine with me."

"B-but I don't wanna die!" Sora yelled. He had a feeling that there was nobody else in the house right now, except for these two women and himself. "Please, just leave me alone!"

Larxene narrowed her eyes at him. "No. With you still around, he won't think about anyone else." She examined his body, which was shaking in fear with one glance. "I really don't see how he fell in love with a scrawny little brat like you," she said taking in the slim waist and somewhat boyish chest. "Hey, what's that?" she asked, looking at the necklace that hung from his neck. She leaned in closer and examined the pendant.

"Whatcha lookin' at, Larxene?" Arida asked, tying up her red frizzy hair with a small red hair tie.

"I know this necklace, Riku used to wear it all the time. He said his mother gave it to him, before she died. This was his most prized possession. How the hell did you get it?" she asked the quivering boy, anger in her words.

"R – Riku gave it to me," Sora stuttered out, worried about the necklace that meant so much to him. She wouldn't take it, would she?

"Why the fuck would he just give this to you? It rightfully belongs to me!" she shrieked, jealousy in her words and on her face. She yanked the necklace off of Sora, and redid the clasp around her own neck.

"No! That's mine!" Sora screamed, struggling to get the necklace. "Give it back! Please! It's my necklace!"

"I really don't think that you are in any position to give orders, little boy," the blonde said, pinning the struggling boy to the bed. "Arida, I think we should wrap this up. I can feel them coming," she said, her eyes looking distant for a moment.

"You mean they defeated that many guards?" the red head asked, shocked.

"Well, let's admit it, those weren't the best guards, you know," the blonde replied.

"You're right. All the good ones are up serving _him_," she said sourness in her voice.

"Fine, you can kill me," Sora muttered, huddled up in a ball. The two looked down at him surprised, almost as if they forgot he was here. "I don't want to live if Riku doesn't love me."

"Fine makes the job easier for us," Larxene said, pushing the boy onto his back. She pulled out a knife and was about to stick it in to Sora, when all of a sudden, she stopped. She looked up in surprise, and dropped the knife on the bed. "They're almost here, darn it," she said with a sigh. She picked up the knife and gave it to Arida. "Here, finish the job," she said, and disappeared downstairs.

"So, I have to finish you, huh?" she said, walking over to Sora. "Any last words?"

" … No, I just have one question. Why does Riku hate me?" the young boy asked, looking up at the woman with his big blue eyes, that were brimming with tears.

"He has to save you all the time, and your asking that? Pathetic. He always gets hurt trying to save you. Does that answer your question?" she replied.

"Yes. I just have one other question. … Will it … hurt to die?"

* * *

Riku arrived at the house on Leon's back, and he jumped off, finally finding the strength to walk. He burst through the door and found Larxene sitting on the couch. 

"Larxene? What are you doing here?" he yelled, outraged that she was in their house.

"I'm killing your brat, of course," she said completely nonchalantly. She leaned back on the couch, enjoying the look of anger, shock and sadness on the boy's face. "Now, we can focus on our relationship."

"Sora's … dead?" Riku asked.

"Well, not yet, but he will be in a moment."

"Sora!" Riku screamed, and started to run upstairs, but Larxene blocked his pathway. "Move!" he yelled.

"Pfft. Yeah, right, like I'm just going to move and let you save that slut? Yeah, right!"

"I said, move! Hey, what's that?" he asked, seeing the necklace that was around her neck.

"Oh, I took it from the brat. I figured that he tricked you into giving it to him," she replied. "Honestly, I think it looks better on me."

"Give that back!" Riku yelled, outraged, and snatched it from her. He knocked her over, and he started up the stairs.

"Oh, no you don't," Larxene said, and grabbed the boy's waist. "How are you going to protect someone who doesn't have the will to live?"

"What? Sora! Leave me alone!" Riku said, struggling against the girl. A strong hand pulled her off of Riku, and the older boy sprinted up the stairs, skipping steps as he went.

He scrambled into the hallway, soon enough to hear, "… Will it … hurt to die?" Riku's eyes widened as he heard this, and he sprinted to the door. "I mean, it can't hurt anymore than Riku not loving me anymore," the silver haired boy heard Sora say. This made Riku stop in his tracks, stunned.

'Sora thinks that I don't love him anymore?' Riku thought, shock freezing him in place. 'But I _do_ love him!'

"I'll make it quick and easy," came a female voice from inside the room.

"Okay, just ... tell Riku that I loved him, even if he doesn't," Sora said, sounding like he was gonna cry.

"NO!" Riku yelled, and burst into the room. He saw the knife upraised over Sora's chest, and the younger boy was shaking and crying silently. "Get away from him!" he screamed, and the robed woman lowered her arm.

"How did you escape?" she asked, awestruck. "And get here so fast?"

"That's really none of your concern! Now, as I was saying earlier, GET AWAY FROM SORA!" Riku bellowed, making the lady step back in fright.

"I really don't think you're in any position to give orders, boy," she said, holding the knife up to Sora's throat, and the younger boy whined softly in fright. He clamped his eyes shut, tears streaming out of his eyes. Riku narrowed his eyes in anger, and prepared to attack.

"So, I'm not, am I?" the silver haired boy growled. Riku rushed forward, and snatched the knife away before she could react. He aimed the knife at her throat, and the woman looked absolutely scared. "Now get out of here, before I do something that you'll regret!" he told her, and she disappeared into the darkness. He was breathing heavily, and he turned to look at the frightened brunette, who hadn't moved the entire time. "Sora?"

"R – Riku?" the younger boy asked, opening his eyes. Riku was stunned. He had never seen Sora so frightened. He stepped forward towards Sora, and the younger boy scrambled farther away from him.

"Sora, what's wrong," Riku asked, confused. He reached a hand out towards Sora but he recoiled at his touch. "Sora, it's me! Come here," Riku pleaded, his heart starting to crack at the way the brunette was looking at him. There was so much sacredness … so much fear.

The long days were finally starting to take its toll on Riku, and he felt himself getting weaker and weaker. He hadn't slept or eaten for days, and he was exhausted from all the tortures that he had gotten. "Sora?" he managed to get out, as everything started to get blurry. He collapsed on the bed next to Sora, who looked frightened at what had just happened.

"R- Riku?" the brunette repeated, moving closer to the fallen boy. "Are you okay?" he asked, poking him in the shoulder. He flipped the boy onto his back, and checked his breathing. It still came, although it sounded rough and labored. Sora clutched Riku tighter, sobbing into his strong chest. He breathed in sharply, and smelled the faint scent of roses coming from the boy. "Is this my Riku?" the younger boy asked in a quiet voice. He held Riku tighter, and jumped when the door burst open to show Leon standing there, covered in cuts and blood, but otherwise alright.

"How is he?" the older man asked, walking over to Riku.

"He – he just collapsed," Sora said, worried about his protector.

"He must be exhausted. Here, help me get him into some clean clothes, and then we can see what we can do about feeding him," Leon said, pulling out a fresh pair of clothes from their suitcase.

* * *

Riku woke later that night, finally feeling warm and safe for the first time in days. But, even though he was happy to be safe, something was still missing. He sat up and looked around, trying to rub the sleepiness from his eyes. He noticed Sora curled up in a little chair next to him, and he shook the boy slightly. 

"Sora?" he asked, the younger boy, who sat up and blinked. He yawned and looked at Riku who was looking at him in concern.

"Riku? You're awake!" Sora exclaimed, smiling at the boy.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Are … are you okay?" Sora asked.

"I'm fine, now."

"Oh, are you hungry?" the brunette asked, handing him some bread covered in butter that Aerith had brought up earlier.

"Yeah!" Riku said, taking the bread and eating it in a matter of seconds. "I'm starving!"

"Heh."

"Hey, Sora?"

"Hm?"

"Why were you so afraid of me earlier?"

"Oh, that. Well, before we realized that you were taken by those people, I guess they had a replica of you and he … _it_ … hurt me. I wasn't really listening when they were trying to explain to me what had happened. I thought that it was really you, not a replica of you. Inever shouldhave doubted that you would never hurt me. I'm sorry, Riku." Sora said, letting out a little sob as his head dropped.

"No, Sora, don't be sorry. You had every right to be scared. You know what I really need now?"

"What?" Sora asked, looking up at Riku with big blue eyes, his cheeks wet with tears.

"All I'll ever need is you," the silver haired boy replied, grabbing Sora's hand affectionately. Sora got up and snuggled next to Riku, feeling safe in the older boy's arms.

"Riku, I missed you," Sora murmured, feeling Riku's arms wrapping around his waist. "I never want to feel that way again."

"Don't worry. As long as you know that I would never hurt you, you'll be fine. Nothing in the world could make me hurt you."

"Riku?"

"Yes?"

"That lady … I think her name was Larxene … she took the necklace that you gave me. You know, the one with the silver crown? I'm sorry, I couldn't stop her," Sora said quietly.

"Oh, no she didn't. I got it from her before she could get away with it. Here," Riku said, reaching into his pocket and bringing out the necklace. Sora's eyes sparkled with tears of gratitude as he refastened it around his neck, and then snuggled up closer to Riku.

"Thank you," Sora mumbled, smelling the familiar scent of roses on Riku's chest.

"Sora … you said that the replica of me hurt you. What … what did he do to you, Sora?"

"He – he fucked me, Riku!" Sora screamed, tears flowing out of his eyes. "He raped me! And he broke my heart into a million pieces by telling me that you didn't love me," Sora cried, sobbing into Riku's chest as the older boy held him protectively. Sora felt Riku stiffen at his words, and he knew that Riku was angry.

"I can't believe they did that to you. That's low, even for them!" Riku said, his voice dangerously low. "Sora, I'll never let them hurt you like that again, okay?" Riku said, burying his face in Sora's mass of cinnamon hair. "Never again," he whispered.

"I – I believe you," Sora said hugging onto Riku tighter, crying quietly on Riku. "Riku, I'll never doubt you again. I will always trust you. I love you. And I always will."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

**Authoress' Note:**  
So, love it? Hate it? Please tell me! I worked my ass off trying to get this to you, so please take the time to review. It won't take you mare than a minute, right? I bet after the last chapter you all had your pitchforks and torches, huh? Well, extra points to AnimeDutchess and AnimeDragonofFire for figuring it out before hand! 


	9. Threats

**Silver Haired Savior**

**Threats**

**Date Started:** 8/28/05

**Date Finished:** 9/15/05

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts …… but I own Riku's cookies! Mwuhahahaha! ((nibbles on chocolate chip cookie))

Riku: Hey, give those back!

**Authoress' randomness:**  
Sorry! Sorry, and sorry again! I know this took sooooo long to get out. School is murder! I feel that I have to warn you that you should enjoy the fluff in this chapter, because it is very likely the last in the story for a LONG time. And no, I'm not just saying this to be dramatic! This is a genuine warning. This chapter is dedicated to starryskydragon, Ayeshagirl, F-chan1, Pippy99999, SingerOfPeace, Leshyaedawnfire, bast4, and Another Weirdo in the World. Thanks! By the way, I absolutely adore anyone who reviews every chapter! **Please read the author's note at the bottom of the chapter. It is VERY important. Graphic scenes in this chapter!

* * *

**

_Two days later:_

Sora awoke to something cold that seemed to cover his chest. He smelled … was that chocolate? He kept his eyes closed, as he felt the creamy substance cover his chest. Then he felt something warm start to caress his chest. It was warm and soft. It cleaned all of the coldness off, and he welcomed it warmly. Soon afterwards, he felt the coldness again, and he shivered slightly. He heard a slight chuckle above him, and he gently opened his eyes. He saw the smiling face of the older boy staring down at him with a smirk.

"R – Riku?" Sora asked, yawning a little. "I'm cold."

"Yeah, but I'm hungry," he replied, smearing more of the cold stuff on his chest. He bent over and licked it off of the boy's creamy skin.

"That smells good. What is it?" Sora asked, waking up at the feeling of Riku's tongue against his chest.

"Chocolate ice cream," the silver haired boy answered simply yet seductively. "You must have been really tired," the boy continued on, reaching over to the bedside table and dipping his hand into the small brown container. He started adding more ice cream onto the boy, except closer to his naval. Sora shivered at the contact. "You didn't even notice when I took your shirt off."

"Mmm," was all Sora could say back. He mewled in pleasure as Riku licked off the ice cream. "Riku," he moaned out. "That feels sooo good!"

"I'm glad," the silver haired replied, wiping some chocolate off of his chin. He reached over towards the bucket full of the creamy substance once again, and dipped his hand inside. He pulled it out, and was about to put it on Sora's stomach, when a hand grabbed his wrist. Sora pulled the boy's fingers to his mouth and started to lick off the chocolate. It tasted good to the brunette, and he started sucking on his fingers. "Riku-sama," he muttered.

"Sora-kun," Riku replied. He pressed his lips gently to Sora's, and the younger boy moaned softly in the back of his throat. He leaned into Riku, and felt the contact of their bodies.

"Uhh, Riku, what time is it?" Sora asked gently, in almost a whisper as he felt his needs grow. Riku looked up at the clock while nibbling on Sora's ear.

"2:28 a.m.," he replied, his hot breath making Sora melt in his arms. He started licking behind Sora's ear as he held him in his arms.

"Ri … ku …" Sora murmured in a strangled voice. "I love you," he managed out before his lips were claimed by the older boy's. He felt his hands wandering his body, massaging his body in pleasurable ways. "Riku," he moaned into his lover's mouth as he melted into Riku's arms. Riku's tongue invaded Sora's mouth. Sora wrapped his arms around the older boy's waist. Riku started to remove his shirt, and broke away for only a second to pull it off. As soon as it was off, his lips found Sora's again, and he started to work his way down to Sora's pajama bottoms.

Twenty minutes later, Sora and Riku lay in each other's arms, sweaty, hot, and covered in chocolate. They pulled on a pair of boxers, but that was all that they had the energy left to do. Riku kissed the boy's sweaty forehead, delighting in the salty yet sweet taste. He kissed the boy on the lips once more, and this time he tasted the sugary taste of chocolate. He pulled Sora closer and started to fall asleep, the brunette already asleep in his arms.

"Goodnight, my little angel," he said softly as sleep claimed him, just like the sapphire eyed boy safe in his embrace.

* * *

_The next morning:_

"Man, Riku must have been hungry! That was a new box of ice cream and it's already half gone!"

"Something tells me eating it wasn't the only thing that they used it for …"

"Yeah, look at them, they're covered in it!"

"We'll let them sleep in peace for now. We can tell them the bad news later. We shouldn't take away what little sleep that they can get."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Just because we have to loose sleep over it, doesn't mean that they have to!"

"Hey, does anyone want some coffee?"

"I told you, only old people drink _you're_ coffee, Leon!"

"Can it, Yuffie!"

"Would you two stop arguing?"

"No, let him argue, Aerith! If he doesn't get his frustration out now, he's just cruel in bed!"

"Ew, didn't want to hear that!"

"Oh, please, Yuffie! You're so immature!"

"Hmph! Well at least _I'm _not old!" Stomping out the door.

"Hey, who are you calling old!" More stomping out the door.

"Would you all stop arguing? You're giving me a headache! I swear, you're worse than Wakka and Tidus when they're arguing over Blitzball teams!"

"Well, at least they took it downstairs so that Riku and Sora can sleep."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Come on, let's go break up their fight before they start to kill each other." Sighs.

"Yeah, come on!" Door closes.

Riku gently let his eyes open, and he looked around. He still held Sora in his arms, although by now he had practically latched onto his waist. Not that he minded; he liked feeling the younger boy against him. It made him feel like he was protecting the brunette. The sheets were covered in chocolate ice cream – melted, by now – and his body as well as Sora's was covered in the sticky substance as well. He sat up a little straighter and pulled the younger boy up next to him, so the brown locks were resting against his chest.

"That was odd," he muttered while holding Sora close, thinking about the strange conversation that had just taken place in the small room. He felt sticky and sweaty, and he realized that he needed a shower. He ran a hand through his hair as he disentangled his legs from the blankets that surrounded him and Sora. He started to get up, but when he started to pull away, the younger boy started whimpering and clinging to him tighter.

"Riku … don't leave me … I promise that I'll love you always …" the younger murmured, still asleep. Riku sighed in exasperation. "No … Riku, don't go!" Sora mumbled as he held fast to the boy.

"Come on, Sora, wake up," Riku cooed, shaking the boy gently. It didn't work, seeing as the boy only held onto him tighter. He leaned back against the pillows, and started kissing the younger boy's face. Soon, though, he smelt food coming from downstairs. He smelled eggs, bacon, and a pot of fresh coffee (much to Riku's amusement), and so, apparently, did Sora. He yawned and sat up, rubbing his eyes as he went. He noticed Riku smiling at him, and smiled back.

"Hey, Riku," he said, yawning one final time. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine," he replied softly. "We could use a shower, though."

"Yeah, I guess we do," Sora said back. They went and to their bags and got their bathroom supplies. They went to the bathroom and started a shower, and they both got in at the same time. They washed each other off, and came out smelling like roses. They went back to the bedroom and got dressed, then gathered the chocolate covered sheets off of the bed and took them down to the laundry. They put fresh bed sheets on, and then finally went down to get breakfast.

Downstairs, they found Leon sulking in one of the armchairs, a cup of coffee in his hand. Sora eagerly sat down at the table, and ate the plate that had been set out for him by Aerith. Yuffie was happily watching cartoons on the television. Cloud was sitting closest to Leon, with his own cup of coffee and a book. Lulu was watching whatever Yuffie had chosen. Riku sat down next to Sora and started eating, the food tasting good in his mouth. It gave him a warm feeling inside, and he soon finished after Sora had.

He put the dishes in the sink along with Sora's, and plopped down next to Sora on the couch. He pulled Sora closer, and the brunette leaned his head on the silver haired boy's chest. They sat that way for about ten minutes, until they noticed all of the adults looking at each other uneasily.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Riku finally asked, and Aerith seemed to jump.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" Yuffie asked conspicuously.

"Oh, no reason, really, it's just you seem really … JUMPY!" Riku yelled on the last word, and Yuffie nearly jumped completely off her seat.

"Riku!" she yelled, resettling herself in her seat.

"But really, what's wrong?" Sora asked, as he hugged Riku's chest.

"Well, we have some bad news …" Cloud started.

"Bad news? Huh?" Sora asked.

"You remember Sephiroth, Ansem's lap dog?" Leon asked.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Sora retorted, burying his face in Riku's chest.

"Sorry, but he's been missing recently. We don't have any clue as to where he is, and that's become a problem," Lulu said, sipping from a mug of tea.

"Why?" the brunette asked as the silver haired boy held him close.

"Because nobody knows what he's planning. Somebody that dangerous can't be trusted on his own," Cloud replied.

"But what we ought to be figuring out is why these robed freaks keep coming after Sora!" Riku said.

"Well, we haven't exactly been able to figure that out," Aerith said.

"We know they keep mentioning him as the 'chosen one' and they keep saying that he has a pure heart, but why they keep coming after him, we don't know."

"Well, I know why Larxene keeps trying to kill Sora," Riku added. "She thinks she owns me, or something, and doesn't like the fact that I love Sora and not her."

"That's a stupid reason!" Sora cried indignantly.

"I know, but that's the way her mind works."

"I've got to go," Leon said, standing up.

"Go? Go where?" Sora asked curiously.

"There's some people that I have to meet. They might be able to tell us more about why they're after you."

"Oh, okay. As long as you're not leaving for good," the younger boy said, sounding relieved. Both Cloud and Leon left, and the others found things to do the rest of the day. The two men returned later that evening, just in time for supper. They all sat around the TV for the rest of the night, but eventually started to get late.

"I'm gonna go to bed," Riku said after awhile with a small yawn.

"Me too," Sora said, following the silver haired boy up the stairs.

"Good night," Yuffie and Aerith chorused The two boys both changed into their pajamas, and climbed into the bed. They turned out the light and lay together, the brunette snuggled close to the silver haired boy.

"Riku? Are you still awake?" Sora asked after awhile had passed.

"Yeah," he replied. "Why are you still up though?"

"It's just … what if Sephiroth's planning something? He's probably going to try to hurt me again!"

"Don't worry, Sora, I won't let him hurt you," Riku said, pulling the younger boy even closer, if that was possible.

"Really? Promise me, Riku."

"I promise," he said, planting a kiss on the top of Sora's head.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"Riku?"

"Hmm?"

"Am I … ever a burden to you? I mean … it's all my fault that you're caught up in all this. It's because of me that you get hurt … I'm just a burden … Not worth the trouble …"

"Sora!" Riku said, sitting up, surprised. "Don't you ever say that again, you understand me? You are not a burden! I could have left long ago if I thought that you were just burden. I'm still here because I want to be! I love you, Sora. You _are_ worth the trouble. I don't care if I break my arm, or crack a rib, as long as you're with me, I can survive. So don't you dare say that you're just a burden!"

" …… Really? You really mean it?" Sora asked quietly, crystal tears forming in his azure eyes.

"Of course I mean it," Riku replied, wiping a fallen tear from the boy's face. "I love you with my entire being," he said, placing a gentle kiss on the boy's rose petal lips. He pulled the younger boy close as they fell back on to the bed. He captured the boy's lips in his again, and delighted in the taste of chocolate that the younger boy always seemed to taste like. When breathing became a necessity, he pulled away and looked down at the boy's big doe eyes. "I will never love another person as much as I love you."

"Thanks, Riku … I love you, too," Sora said, falling into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

_The next morning:_

It was now morning, and the suns first rays were peeking into the small room through the window. The young silver haired boy yawned and shifted in the queen-sized bed that he and the younger boy shared. He pulled his source of warmth closer to his body, and hugged him tight, pressing the brunette's forehead against his bare chest, which was once covered by a shirt that had been discarded earlier in the night due to the heat in the room, and now laid in a heap on the floor. He felt the hot, sweaty forehead pressed against his skin, and soon realized that it was warmer than what it would normally be.

Riku sat up carefully, so as not to wake the other boy. He blinked a couple of times before he could see normally again, and looked down at the brunette. The younger boy's face was a pale color, and seemed to be sleeping heavier than usual. Riku placed a hand on the boy's forehead, and found that it was very hot. He reached a hand down the younger boy's shirt and checked his temperature.

"Riku?" Sora murmured as he woke up. He blinked his sapphire eyes a couple times as he sat up, but immediately fell back on the bed as he felt light-headed. "Unhhh … Riku, I don't feel so good …"

"I think you're sick, sweetie," Riku said, much to the younger boy's horror.

"I'm – I'm sick? But how? Am I gonna die?" Sora asked, freaking out.

"Relax. I think you just have a fever. It's perfectly normal. You're just going to be feeling sick for a while. You'll get better in no time," the older boy said, reassuring the brunette.

"That's a relief," he said. "I can't remember the last time that I was sick."

"I'm gonna go tell the others. I don't want them to get sick, too," Riku said, standing up and walking over to the bags.

"But what if you get sick too?"

"I'll be fine," he replied nonchalantly. He undressed and pulled on a pair a green cargo pants and a navy blue t-shirt. He walked downstairs and found Aerith making a fresh pot of coffee.

"Good morning, Riku," she said, "Is Sora still sleeping?"

"I think he's sick. He's got a pretty high fever."

"Aww, we'll have to get some medicine later. I think we're out," the older brunette said, and walked back over to the fridge. She pulled out a jug of orange juice and grabbed a glass out of the cabinet. She poured the glass full, and handed the glass to Riku. "Here, this will help. He should get more Vitamin C. That way, he'll get over it faster."

"Thanks. Could ya tell everyone else to be careful around Sora when they coming? I don't want anyone else getting sick," Riku said, carrying the glass up the stairs.

"Can do," she said, pulling out some things for breakfast. Riku cautiously carried the glass up the stairs and entered the bedroom. He woke Sora, who had fallen back asleep, and told him to drink the glass full of the orange liquid. He did so, without protest and Riku took the glass from him when he was finished, and set it on the bedside table.

"Riku, make me feel better," Sora whined while doing his infamous pout, making the silver haired boy grin in amusement. He flopped back on the bed next to Sora, hugging the younger boy tightly.

"I'm working on it," he mumbled into the brunette's gravity defiant locks. He kissed the top of his head and gently got up, leaving the younger boy on the bed. "You should rest. You'll get better faster," he said, picking the new empty glass.

"Fine," Sora pouted, and pulled the covers around his self.

"Good boy. I'm gonna go out and buy you some medicine. Aerith said we're out. Rest until then, okay?"

"Okay," Sora sighed, and closed his eyes. Riku grabbed a baseball cap, his wallet, and a pair of sunglasses and quietly left the room, shutting the door with a small click. He walked downstairs and entered the kitchen. He placed the glass in the sink and stuffed his wallet into his pocket.

"Going to the store?" she asked simply as she stood over the skillet. "Don't worry, I'll watch Sora and make sure that he doesn't get any sicker."

"Thanks, Aerith," Riku said, putting on the baseball cap and sunglasses. He left the house and started down to the small drugstore a few blocks away.

* * *

Sora awoke to the sound of the window being opened. He shifted a little bit in his place on the bed, and rolled over. "Riku?" he asked as yawned. 

"Sorry, not your precious lover," came a sneering voice from above him. Sora's eyes snapped open, and he immediately opened his mouth to scream. But before he could, a hand covered his mouth, producing a muffled moan. "Be quiet or I'll kill you," the man said, pulling out a knife and uncovering the boy's mouth. "That really would be an inconvenience for me, seeing as Number One wants you alive and well for his purposes."

"What – what do you want with me?" Sora stuttered out, clutching onto the sheets that covered his frail body.

"I was sent to give you this," he said, handing out a letter to the younger boy, who timidly accepted it. "Do not show this to anyone, not even Riku. If you're smart, you'll do as you're instructed. And remember, time is of the essence." He turned and climbed out the window. With trembling hands, Sora opened the letter, and pulled out the insides. There was a lock of magenta hair, and a letter, which Sora quickly read the contents of:

**Chosen one,**

**We have your sister, Kairi. Give yourself up, and go to the top of the gizmo shop in the second district. Come alone, no tricks. To show you I mean business, here is a lock of Kairi's hair. Come at midnight, otherwise her hair won't be the only thing that we cut off! Tell no one!**

Sora's eyes widened as he read and reread the letter. He dropped the contents of the envelope in his lap, and sat there in shock.

"They – they have Kairi!" the brunette whispered in a barely audible voice. Sora put the letter underneath his pillow and flopped back on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a bit. By now his face had turned pale, and he was at a loss for what to do.

'I can't just let them take Kairi like that, but at the same time, I can't force Riku to save me again … What should I do? Riku … Kairi … I love them both, but either way, one's going to get hurt … help …'

"Sora? What's wrong? You look pale!" Riku said as he entered the room with a bag in his hand. He put a hand on Sora's forehead and took his temperature. He pulled a thermometer out of the plastic bag and told Sora to open his mouth. When he did, he stuck the item in and told him to hold it under his tongue. While he waited he pulled out a bottle of fever medicine and placed it on the table. He threw away the now empty bag and sat down next to the sick boy. "So, what's wrong?"

"Nuffing," the boy said, the thermometer still in his mouth.

"You sure?" the boy asked, concern in his aquamarine eyes. Sora nodded yes, and shifted a little in his spot. "Hold on," Riku said, and took the thermometer out of the boy's mouth. He glanced at the thermometer and his eyes got wide as he read Sora's temperature. "Sora? This can't be right! How could you have gotten so sick?"

"I don't know," Sora muttered as a low moan escaped from deep in his throat. "Riku, I don't feel good."

"Here, you should take this. I made sure that it was the best one in the entire store. It will help you get better sooner," he said, pouring the right amount into the little plastic cup. He helped Sora sit up and take the medicine. The young brunette made a face as the slimy substance oozed its way down his throat.

"Blech!" Sora exclaimed as he finished swallowing the medicine.

"Yeah, just about all of them do that," Riku said with a small grin towards the younger boy. "You sure you're alright?"

Sora considered telling him, but decided against it. _Tell no one. _"I'm fine, Riku," Sora said.

"Well, you should get some rest. That's the best way to get better," he said, giving Sora a quick hug. "I'll be back in a little bit."

"Riku … thanks," Sora murmured.

"Anything for you," Riku replied sweetly as he shut the door behind him, leaving Sora in the quietness of the small room.

"What should I do?"

* * *

It was now nearly eleven-thirty, and the silver haired boy was sleeping peacefully next to the troubled brunette. He had just made up his mind about what he was going to do a little while ago, and he still had doubts whether he had chosen right. 

Quietly and silently, he climbed out of the bed, careful not to get up to fast so that he didn't get light-headed again. He took one last look at his lover's sleeping form and kissed him gently on top of the head before straightening and walking over to the door. There, he paused for a moment, and whispered, "I'm sorry Riku. I know that you promised never to let them hurt me, but I made a promise to Kairi that I'd never let them hurt her, either."

"Mmm … Sora …" Riku muttered in his sleep, turning over on his side.

"Goodbye, Riku," Sora murmured, and left through the door. He quietly went downstairs and opened the front door, exposing himself to the cool night air. "I'm sorry." He walked through the opening and shut it behind him with a gentle click.

The young boy walked through the fourth district and took the pathway to the second district. He made his way past the hotel where he knew all of his other friends were sleeping peacefully and he felt another wave of sadness and fear wash over him. As he walked the length of the hotel, he saw a leather-clad figure emerge from the shadows and start to head down that way. Its head was aimed to the ground and didn't notice the brunette who had frozen tracks.

'Leon!' Sora exclaimed in his mind, and ducked into the shadows as the older man passed him. He hurried farther away from the taller brunette, and only when he was a safe distance away did he let out a breath that he hadn't known he was holding. 'That was close! I thought he would stop me.'

Sora walked past a few more doors to various shops and eventually arrived at the entrance to the abandoned Gizmo Shop. He let out a sigh of exasperation and fear, and then proceeded to push open the door to the large building. The insides were dusty and covered in cobwebs. The various gears looked looming in the darkness, like little teeth jutting out of the walls. He shivered out of pure fright, and walked through the deserted contents of the building until he came to another pair of doors. He timidly pushed open the doors and found himself … outside? Confused, he stepped out and looked around.

The younger boy soon found a small ladder leading up to the top of the building. He carefully climbed it, sure that he would regret going up later. As he reached the top of the building his eyes grew wide as he found the surprise waiting for him.

On top of the roof were thirty black-robed figures, waiting to destroy him. Sora's eyes grew wide as he was seized roughly by two of them and pulled on to the ceiling.

"Lemme go," Sora yelled as he was dropped on the ground. He looked up defiantly and did a sweeping motion with his leg, knocking over three of the robed figures.

The frightened boy scrambled to his feet, ready to fight, but he stumbled from his light-headedness. He fell to the ground, and rolled out of the way as a lightning bolt hit the spot where he had been only a second before, leaving scorch marks on the tiles of the roof. He once again got to his feet, careful not to stumble, and kicked another in the stomach.

The angry robed figure fell to the ground yelling a string of curses at the younger boy, who was frantically trying to find a way to save himself and his sister, wherever she might be. He ran forward, kicking and hitting anyone or anything that came in the way.

He was almost to the ladder, when a large figure floated in front of him. In his hand was a familiar item that Sora knew very well. Silver hair spilled out from the robe that was concealing the man's face. But Sora didn't need to see the man's face to tell him that it was one of his worst fears suddenly come true. Sephiroth had returned for him.

"No … not you!" Sora screamed in terror as the man started to remove his hood.

"Yes, and I'm here to exact my revenge on you!" the man said. "Your boyfriend killed my lover, and now I'm here to kill you!" Sephiroth roared, using his whip to grab the boy's frail frame.

"You – you and Ansem were _lovers?_" Sora exclaimed, temporarily forgetting about the whip that was pulling him closer to the man.

"Yes, and that Riku bastard killed him! He made me suffer, so now I'm going to make _him_ suffer the way that he did. By killing his lover."

"No! It's his own fault! He tried to kill me!" Sora screamed, struggling against the whip. "Let … me … GO!"

"Never," he sneered.

"Where's Kairi? You better not have hurt her, otherwise I'll – ,"

"You'll what? Kill me? As if," he mocked, dragging Sora close to his body. "But I'm going to have a little fun first," he said, as panic flowed throughout the younger boy's body. He pulled out a cloth soaked in chloroform and rammed it up against the boy's mouth and nose, successfully making the poor little brunette pass out. Vapid eyes clamped shut and the world went black.

* * *

Riku rolled over in his sleep, searching for his source of warmth. He groped blindly in the darkness for his bedmate, trying to feel his way in front of him. After realizing that no one was there, he sat up in shock, and turned on the light on the bedside table. He blearily looked around for the missing brunette, but he was nowhere to be found. 

"Sora?" Riku screamed, panicked. "Where are you?"

"Riku?" Aerith asked, yawning and coming into the room. "What's wrong?"

"Sora is missing!"

"You sure he isn't in the bathroom?"

"Yes!"

"Well do you know where he went?"

" … No …" Riku admitted, hanging his head. He noticed a few strands of magenta hair peaking out from underneath Sora's pillow, and he reached a hand underneath. He was surprised to find a letter and an envelope underneath. He slowly pulled it out and opened the folded up letter. His eyes widened in surprise as he read the contents of the letter and realized that what the hair was. "I know where Sora is – or was, anyways. We have to hurry!"

"Wait, where is he?" Aerith asked, confusion on her face as she watched the boy throw the covers off of himself and start to gather street clothes.

"The Gizmo Shop."

* * *

Sora awoke and saw a pair of blue eyes staring at him in concern. Not Riku's eyes, but the eyes of someone very close to him. 

"Kairi?" Sora managed to get out as his eyes came back into focus.

"Sora?" she asked right back, staring her brother down in the face.

"Are – are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm not the one you should be concerned about, Sora. You're the one tied to the bed." Sora looked down at where he was, and, indeed, he was tied to the bed. "But I am okay," she added onto the end.

"That's a relief. He didn't hurt you, did he?" he asked, examining his sister, who was tied up in a chair.

"Well, unless you count the whole kidnapping me, tying me to a chair, and cutting off a lock of my hair as hurting me, not really," she answered honestly.

"Where is he?" Sora asked, testing the strength of the ropes that bound his wrists and ankles to the bed. It was pretty strong.

"Like I know," she answered sarcastically.

"I hope Riku comes soon. Now I regret not saying anything," he muttered.

"Who's Riku? Is she your girlfriend?"

"No, Riku's –,"

"Shut up, you little brats," a cruel voice from the doorway said. Sora and Kairi jumped at the new voice. They hadn't heard him come in. "Riku's the little brat's lover that killed my lover!"

"Let us go right now!" Sora yelled.

"You're in no position to give orders, brat," he replied, walking over to a frightened Kairi and Sora.

"Please," Kairi pleaded.

"At least let her go, she didn't do anything!" Sora yelled.

"I would, but I can't have her getting the police or Riku involved, now can I?" he sneered. He moved closer to the boy tied up on the bed, and Sora's eyes filled with fear.

"G-get away from me!" he yelled.

"No," he answered. He pulled out a dagger from his pocket, and unsheathed it. He reached forward and started cutting off Sora's shirt. He cut it in half, and ripped it off of Sora's thin figure. Next, he started to cut off Sora's pants.

"Leave him alone!" Kairi screamed.

"Shut up!" he roared.

'Oh, no!' Sora thought as he let out a loud scream before Sephiroth put a piece of duct tape over his mouth. 'He's going to rape me, just like my step-father tried. Somebody help me!'

"Let me go!" Sora yelled, trying to make himself heard through the duct tape. It came out like an intelligible mumble that no one could understand.

"Sorry, I can't hear you," the older man sneered, successfully pulling off Sora's pants. By now the brunette had tears in his eyes as he struggled unsuccessfully against the bonds that held him.

"He said to let him go, you big jerk!" Kairi yelled.

"I said, shut up!" he roared out, ripping off Sora's boxers harshly, causing the trapped boy to cry out in pain. He started fondling with Sora's sensitive parts and he shivered at the touch. He bucked his hips trying to get away from the man's touch although he knew it was a useless attempt. He cried out as the ropes dug into his wrists and ankles. He felt embarrassed for having his sister see him this way. He was frantic by now. Sephiroth was infuriated by the boy's attempts and roughly pushed him on to the bed with his hand. "What? Think I'm not good enough for you? Are you saying that little freak deserves you more than me? Well, I'm NOT going to stand for that!" snarled, getting undressed himself.

"What are you doing? You know this is illegal, right? Leave him alone!" Kairi screamed.

"Oh, and what are _you_ going to do about it? Hmm?" he asked, leaning in close to her while he removed his own boxers. "Perhaps you'd like to be next?"

"Ugh!" she coughed at the man's breath, turning her head away from him. Grinning devilishly, he pulled away from her, and turned his attention to the horror stricken boy. He started whimpering in fear.

"I'm going to make you writhe in pain underneath me," he said straddling the boy. He bent over and started nibbling on his collarbone as Sora tried desperately to get free, his eyes clamped tight, tears forming in his eyes. He felt the duct tape get ripped off of his mouth, and winced at the pain as the man on top of him roughly ground his hips against his own. He let out a loud scream that was cut short as Sephiroth slammed his lips down upon Sora's. When he pulled off of him, he started crying again.

_... Help me... Riku...

* * *

_

Riku ran through the streets of the second district after sprinting through the fourth, taking the gateway from the first, and finally entering the now deserted district. He ran through the streets, his breath harsh and coming out in ragged puffs. He was frightened beyond words, right now. Who knows what these maniacs would do to his poor Sora?

He had to get help, first, though. He knew that just Aerith and he might not be enough, but maybe if he got Leon, Cloud, Yuffie, and Lulu, he might stand a chance. He burst into the hotel, and found the rooms that they had said that they owned. He started banging frantically on Cloud and Leon's door, Aerith knocking politely on Yuffie and Lulu's. All of them answered the door, Lulu and Yuffie quite grumpily opened the door, and soon afterwards, Cloud and Leon joined them out in the hall, clad only in boxers, and Riku smirked knowingly.

"What's wrong?" Leon growled, tired and exhaust evident on his sweaty face. "And where's Sora?"

"That's just it! He's missing! I found this letter," he said, holding up the letter that he had found, "and they threatened Sora using his sister!"

"What?" Yuffie exclaimed. She snatched the letter out of his hand and quickly skimmed the contents. "Those low-life's!" she screamed, rage upon every bit of her body. She darted into the room and started to get dressed. "I'm gonna gut them – " she started, but her words were cut off as Lulu shut the door behind, them, getting dressed as well.

"They really stooped that low, huh?" Leon asked calmly.

"Yes … Sora …" Riku whispered, on the verge of crying.

"No crying! If you break down now, we'll never be able to save Sora!" Leon yelled.

"You're right," the silver haired boy replied, wiping the tears away from his eyes. "I have to be strong for Sora!"

"That's right," said a now clothed Cloud as he emerged from their room, holding Leon's clothes in his hands. "Go change, love," he said, handing the bundle in his hands to Leon and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. He went in to the bedroom and changed quickly. By the time he came out, everyone was ready to go. They sprinted out of the hotel, and made their way to the looming Gizmo Shop. They burst into the dusty room, and ran through the building. They paused for a moment.

"I don't see them!" Aerith yelled. They all stared expectantly at Riku, who thought for a moment.

They all heard a loud scream, and Leon yelled, "They're on the roof!" They all sprinted out the other door and found the ladder, then climbed the ladder. Upon the roof, they found a scene of chaos. There were scorch marks everywhere, and a couple of knocked out robed figures. There was a door leading farther into the building, and down the hallway, he heard loud sobbing and the pleadings of a young girl.

"SORA!" Riku yelled.

* * *

**Author's Ranting:**

MWUHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm evil for leaving a cliffie. But seriously, I'm leaving this one in your hands. I really don't know if I should continue for longer. Should I end it soon? We could have the next couple chapters be last ones and then start on the sequal. What do you guys think? Surprisingly, I've fallen into an easy pattern of writing in between classes and after my homework. If I get 15 or more reviews – yes, count them, **15!** – I will update as soon as the chapter is finished. Plus, if I get this many reviews, I'll continue this story longer. I have a couple of ideas for a couple of chapters. They're really angsty. So, please review! I'm begging you! ((puppy dog eyes)) Pwease? Trust me, I have ways finding out who don't review …

Riku: She really does.

Me: Yeah, review otherwise I'll mysteriously disappear and take Riku with me …

Riku: O.O Meep!


	10. Pain and Torture

**Silver Haired Savior**

**Pain and Torture**

**Date Started:** 9/18/05

**Date Finished:** 10/1/05

**Authoress' Note:  
**Wow! I was not expecting so much feedback! I feel so loved here! Unfortunately, this is one of the last chapters, but fear not! I have something to make up for it! After this story, there will be a little mini story until the sequel. More information on this in the last chapter. This chapter is dedicated to tokie44, starryskydragon, Emma, Ayeshagirl, Tala and Kai Lover, SingerOfPeace, AnimeDutchess, Pippy99999, LadyRhio, sweetthang21, imisseduhaku, xmiso, losthimagain, and Draco's Worst Nightmare. Thank you all sooooo much!

_**WARNING: Heavy T Rating on this chapter!**_

* * *

Sora felt the wind being knocked out of him as the man on top of him punched him in the stomach, punishing him for screaming a moment earlier. Sora had put all of his energy into that high pitched yell, hoping that someone might have heard him and would save him and his poor trapped sister. Neither one was able to do anything to stop the torture that this man was putting them through. 

"You little monster!" the white haired man yelled, outraged at the boy's pathetic attempt.

"Leave him alone!" Kairi screamed, tears streaming down her face as she tried to break free of the bonds holding her tightly to the chair.

"Shut up," he yelled, slapping her curtly on the cheek.

"Someone, help us …" Sora gasped out as the cruel tyrant turned his attention back to the terrorized brunette.

"Nobody's coming for you. Not even that little brat Riku can save you. Now, where was I?" he asked, scooting closer to Sora's face.

"You're wrong! Riku is gonna save me!" Sora yelled.

"Be quiet," he growled, getting annoyed at the twins. As he moved closer to his face, Sora could see just how excited Sephiroth really was. "Open your mouth," he ordered the younger boy, whose eyes widened in fear and shock.

"St – STOP IT!" Kairi screamed ands sobbed, stuttering over her words as she realized what he wanted her brother to do. Sora frantically shook his head no, scared to open his mouth even the slightest. He struggled hysterically against the ropes, trying to save himself from this fate.

With a small growl, he grabbed a fist full of Sora's hair, bringing his face closer to Sephiroth's growing need, and glared down at him. "I said, OPEN YOUR MOUTH!" he yelled angrily, trying to force himself into the boy.

"Mmmnhhh!" Sora moaned, doing his best to keep his mouth shut. Sephiroth let out an angry snarl and reached behind his back to Sora's stomach. He punched him hard, making the boy gasp and open his mouth in order to catch his breath. The man shoved himself into Sora's mouth as far as it would go, and the tortured boy gagged at the awful taste and at the feeling in his throat.

"Don't you dare," he warned, holding the boy's head up to his body as he tried to spit the man out of his mouth. "Suck it," he ordered, and the boy started to cry harder.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" a voice roared at the man from the doorway. Covered in sweat and blood was Riku, holding up a sword towards the man. Sora's eyes lit up as he saw this, but only to wince in pain as Sephiroth pulled out of his mouth and slapped him for his optimism. "Why you dirty –" Riku started.

"I'd watch my temper if I were you, punk," Sephiroth warned, grabbing a fistful of Sora's hair and watching him wince in pain as he held his head up.

"Oww," Sora yelled, feeling his hair being tugged on unmercifully. The white haired man was grinning maliciously as he whimpered at the pain. "Help me …" he whined towards his lover.

"Sora!" Riku yelled back, taking in the position of things as he saw Kairi tied to a chair and Sora tied to the bed, Sephiroth on top of him. Without warning, Riku sprinted towards the man, catching him off guard and ramming him into the ground. While he was disoriented, Riku cut the ropes off of Sora's wrists, and then quickly aimed his sword to Sephiroth's neck. "You sick bastard," he snarled dangerously low as he pressed the metal towards the man's skin.

"Big brother!" Kairi yelled as he got himself untied and pulled on what was left of his boxers. He went over to Kairi and untied her too, holding her close to his chest as went to stand next to Riku.

"Well, got anything to say for yourself," Riku spat, using all of his restraint to not kill the man.

"Just … this!" he yelled, suddenly kicking up and knocking Riku to the ground. He stood up and grabbed Sora by the arm, pulling him away from Kairi. He struggled in vain against the grip around him, and finally ended up kicking the man in a sensitive part of his body, making him double over in pain. Riku quickly got off the ground and put himself in between Sora and Sephiroth so that he couldn't hurt him again. He aimed his sword angrily at the man's heart, and dropped the sword down, but the man simply rolled out of the way.

"Bastard!" Riku yelled, trying to slice the man in two. Just then, they heard an anguished cry and Sora turned around to see Larxene holding Kairi.

"Let her go!" Sora yelled angrily.

"Come and get her, fool!" she yelled back and disappeared down the corridor and into another room. Now Sora was faced with a difficult decision. He wanted to help his sister, but he didn't want to leave Riku alone with this evil man. Riku answered his question for him.

"Go save her, Sora," he told the boy, trying to concentrate on not getting hit by Sephiroth. "I'll be fine for awhile."

"Okay!" Sora yelled and took off down the corridor. He turned quickly into the room, and froze as he saw Larxene holding Kairi. He dashed forward, determined to grab Kairi, and managed to knock Larxene down, but unfortunately taking Kairi with her. He bent over to grab Kairi and grabbed her hand, pulling her behind him as he backed off towards the door. 'That was too easy,' Sora thought as he eyed the woman that was standing up and brushing herself off.

"W- What are you planning?" Kairi stuttered out, realizing that that was too easy as well.

"This," she replied, and she raised her arm to the air and muttered an inaudible spell that caused the door behind them to shut with a resounding slam. "Now I have you trapped in here. This may be against his orders, but I don't care anymore. Riku is mine and mine alone!"

"Is not!" Sora yelled defiantly back, realizing a second too late that this was probably a bad idea.

"Perish!" she screamed, aiming a spell towards Sora. He pushed Kairi in to a corner as he dodged it, taking care to make sure Kairi was out of danger of the spell hitting her instead. He dashed around the room with ease, dodging spells much to the blonde's anger. He found a sword within the hilt of an old suit of armor in the room, and pulled it out. He charged at the woman, and cut her on the leg while she was off guard, and with a loud yell of pain and frustration, she aimed another huge lightning spell at him.

"Thundaga!" she shrieked, and a large flash of light illuminated the room, sending everyone blind as the light overpowered their eyes. When the light cleared, there was a scorch mark where the lightning had landed, just inches away from where Sora lay on the ground. He quickly jumped back up, and charged again, stabbing the woman in the arm.

"Take that!" he yelled, happy at the small triumph. He tried another slash, but it was blocked with a magical shield that she out up at the last second.

Suddenly, a devilish idea came to her. She instead turned her attention to the trembling Kairi in the corner and aimed a spell at her, knowing that Sora would do anything to save his sister. The brunette immediately saw this, and he ran towards his sister, getting in front of the spell seconds before it contacted, leaving him barely conscious on the ground. Larxene used a summoning spell and brought the brunette closer to her, and took out a knife. Sora tried using all of the power he had left to save himself, but by now all his energy was spent.

He felt himself being pulled closer and closer, and started give out soft whimpers at the fact that he couldn't do anything about it. He continued to struggle, but in his heart he knew it was worthless. As he arrived at Larxene's side, he started trembling in fear at the very sharp edged knife that the woman held in her hands.

She leaned in close to him, and whispered in a low voice, "I'd be afraid if I were you." She grabbed his floating figure with one hand behind his back, and brought the knife down by his tender neck. "You're so scrawny and weak," she muttered. "I don't know why he chose you, when he could have the beautiful, strong me. Die, brat," she whispered, before plunging the knife into Sora's stomach. Metal sunk into flesh as the knife sunk deep into his naval. The brunette let out an ear piercing scream as he felt rivers of his crimson life's essence flowing down his abdomen. This pain was nothing like he had ever felt before.

"W-why?" he managed to gasp out before he started coughing up blood.

"Because Riku is straight! You corrupted him, and I'll never forgive you!"

There was a pounding at the door before it was broken down by a very ruffled Leon and Riku, everyone else following closely behind. They all froze at the bloody sight … that is, all except Riku.

"Larxene! You bitch! What did you do to Sora? Give him back!" he screamed, pain and anguish quite clearly laced in his words.

"Oh, this? Fine," she said in a bored voice, like it was no big deal that she had just impaled Sora. She tossed the bloody mess towards Riku, which slid along the ground until resting at Riku's feet. He immediately sunk to his knees, shock and sadness written all over his face. He let a couple of choked sobs out as he saw the boy's crimson body, before he slowly stood up. The grip on his sword was dangerously tight, and a murderous glint was evident in his eyes.

"You …" he said in a low, raspy voice. He suddenly charged at her, intent on ramming her through the chest. Larxene quickly teleported away, an evil smirk on her face as she seemed to melt away into the darkness. "Damn you!" he screamed loudly at the place where the woman once was, before he dropped his sword and collapsed to his knees next to Sora. Kairi had crawled over to her bleeding brother, and was weeping silently at the sight. "Sora," he whispered in a barely audible voice as he gathered his lover into his arms.

"Ri … ku …" Sora managed to gasp out as he felt himself being gently picked up. He could feel the pool of blood that was forming on the silver haired boy's lap. He was thrown into another coughing fit as blood gushed out of his mouth. "Help … me … Everything … looks … hazy …" he whispered, before passing out in his boyfriend's arms.

"Lulu! Aerith! Do something! Please!" Riku begged tears in his eyes and on his face. "Help him!"

"Okay, lay him on the ground," the raven haired woman instructed, and Riku did so hastily, making sure that he was being delicate with his little angel. He stepped back a little bit, and watched as the two women used a couple of magic spells. It was their most powerful magic, and it started to heal the younger boy. But still, it wasn't quite enough.

"We have to get him to the hospital, and fast!" Aerith quickly said, looking at the boy's health. "If we hurry, he has a good chance of surviving!"

"Well, let's hurry!" Riku replied immediately after, gathering the brunette into his arms bridal style. They rushed out the building and headed to the closest hospital.

* * *

The next thing Sora knew when he next woke up was the sound of loud voices and beeping. 

"Huh?" he asked, opening his eyes gently.

"Sora!" he heard a panicked voice yell.

"Riku? Where am I?" he asked, seeing people above him with masks on.

"You're in the hospital. There's no time to explain now. You're going into surgery. As soon as you wake up, I'll explain everything!" Riku said in a rush.

"I'm scared!" he yelled.

"Don't worry, everything will be okay!" he heard Riku say as one of the people above him put a mask over his mouth. "Everything will be okay …"

"Riku …" was his last word as everything went hazy again, and then black.

* * *

Riku was pacing impatiently back and forth across the waiting room, anxious about his lover. He had already been told twice by Cloud to sit down, but he was just too anxious and worried to sit still for longer than a couple minutes. He decided he needed a drink, so he went over to the coffee machine and ordered a latte. He chugged it in a few sips, and sat back down. He noticed Kairi watching him closely, and he decided to try to give his mind something to think about while he waited. 

"So, you're Sora's sister, right?" Riku asked, trying to make conversation.

"Oh … uh … yeah," she answered nervously.

"Funny. You guys don't really look alike. Well, you have his eyes. They're almost exactly the same," Riku observed, making himself more comfortable on the small couch.

"Thanks," she said, giving off a small little smile. "So … are you Riku?"

"Yeah, I am," he said, wearing his trademark smirk.

"Really? I thought the Riku he was talking about was a girl … I didn't know Sora was gay …" she said, her eyes averted to the floor.

"That's okay, I don't think he even knew until he started hanging out with me," Riku replied with a slight chuckle. He pulled out a sketch book, obtained after going back by the house, and started drawing a little. Drawing always calmed his nerves.

"Wow, that's really good," Kairi muttered, looking over his shoulder. "You aren't by any chance Riku _Renvulle_, are you?"

"Yep, that's me!" he said, finishing the picture.

"Wow! Are you sure? My stepmother absolutely loves your artwork! She already has a couple hung up in our house. She would absolutely flip if she knew that you were my brother's boyfriend!"

"Heh, thanks," he said, laughing a little at the girls enthusiasm. "Here," he said, tearing out the sketch that he had been working on a moment a go. He quickly signed it, and gave it to the amazed girl. She gave a small squeal of delight as she clutched the drawing to her chest. "You act almost as hyper as he does."

"I know," she said with a giggle.

"Come on, Kairi, you probably want some rest," Yuffie said, standing up from her chair. "I'll take you to the hotel a couple blocks away. You've had a rough time."

"But I want to stay here and wait for Sora!" she whined, pouting exactly like Sora does. Riku laughed, amused as she sunk lower in her chair.

"Well, Riku can call us when he wakes up," Aerith offered, standing up next to Yuffie. "Is that okay?"

"I guess," she replied with a sigh. "But you'll call us as soon as you here something, right?" she asked, looking at the silver haired boy.

"Of course," he answered.

"Alright. See you later," she said as Yuffie led her off into the other lobby. Cloud and Leon soon followed, leaving Riku all alone in the small room. He sighed gently, and lay down on the couch to take a nap.

* * *

Riku awoke to an urgent shaking on his shoulder. He sat up with a bolt, looking around tensely. He recognized the doctor that was taking care of Sora, he relaxed a little. But the worried look in the doctor's eyes scared him a little. 

"W-what's wrong? I-is there s-something wrong with Sora?" he asked, finding it difficult to keep his voice strong.

"Well, we have some bad news," the doctor replied, casting his gaze to the ground, not daring to look the younger boy in the eyes.

"W-what?" Riku asked, tears rushing to his eyes as fright shot through his entire body faster than a lightning bolt.

"Well, he's not waking up from the anesthesia, you see," he said, trailing off …

"And is that bad?" Riku asked, not quite understanding.

"It means that if he doesn't wake up soon, he could die," the doctor replied forlorn.

"N-no! Sora!" the silver haired boy cried, crystal tears splashing down his face. "There has to be something that I can do! I'm not ready to let him go, I won't! Sora," he cried his voice shaking as he said his lover's name.

"Well, he's in the intensive care room. I don't normally do this for people, but for you I'll make an exception. Maybe your voice can reach him. Because nothing else will," he said, rubbing his eyes underneath his glasses.

"Can I try? Please?" Riku begged, prepared to do anything to save Sora.

"Yes, right this way," he said, leading the boy out of the waiting room and into a back portion of the hospital. He led him into the intensive care unit, and to a small room that led off of the corridor. Inside, Sora was lying on the bed, connected to many monitors. Riku rushed to his side, and pulled one of the chairs close to the side of the bed. "I'll leave you two alone for a little bit. If he doesn't wake up in half an hour, there is only a slim chance that he'll recover."

"Understood," Riku said as the doctor shut the door. He looked down at his lover's face, and in between chocked sobs, he started talking gently to his little angel, hoping with his entire being that he could hear him. "Sora, please wake up, please," he begged, grasping Sora's hand gently and giving it a little squeeze. "I – I don't know what I'll do if I loose you. Please, you have to wake up! Sora, do this for me. I love you so much. I need to hear your sweet voice. I – I need to feel your lips against mine, your warmth against my skin. I don't know how I ever survived without you. Wake up, wake up, wake up! Please! I need my muse … please … I love you – those three words have my entire life in them. You – you feel me with a light that no amount of darkness could extinguish. Please, wake up, or I'll die. I need you. I want to hear your precious words echo through my ears forever. You'll never know how much you mean to me. I need you by my side. Wake up … please, wake up. Come back to me, please," Riku whimpered, diamond like tears flowing down his cheeks and splattering the sheets. "Sora …"

* * *

(Sora's POV) 

_I'm . . . floating. It feels like I'm drifting in darkness. Where am I? I don't know this place. I – I don't like it here. It creeps me out. I want somebody to comfort me. No, not just somebody. I want Riku. I need him here to comfort me, to tell me everything is all right. But . . . is everything all right? Am I . . . dead? _

_Now I remember: Larxene stuck a knife through me. That bitch. It was like something I had never felt before. It was worse than any torture that I had ever been through. But, what I think hurt the most wasn't my stomach, but my heart. It was the reason _why _she tried to kill me. She said it was because Riku loved me . . . is it so wrong to fall love in? Is it such a crime to want to love someone who loves me for who I am? She doesn't deserve him. He's too nice and sweet to love someone like her. _

_The other thing that hurt my heart, and the reason that I hurt the most, was the look on Riku's face when he saw me. It must have hurt him so much. He says I mean the world to him. He says that I'm worth something . . . but is that really true? If my life is so worthless that people will just end it over some pointless jealousy, am I really more than just some worthless orphan? Why do people always hurt me? It's just not fair! Is it so much to ask to just live peacefully and happily with the person that you love? Life is not fair!_

_I keep drifting into the darkness. Is it really worth it to wake up? Will it only mean more heartache? Maybe it's just better to stay like this – adrift. But . . . I hear someone calling out to me. What are they saying? Or better yet, who is it?_

"_You'll never know how much you mean to me. I need you by my side. Wake up. . .please, wake up. Come back to me, please. Sora . . ."_

_Riku? He's – he's crying! Crying for me. I'm hurting even more. It makes my heartache. But . . . I don't know how to get out. I don't see anything but darkness here. Wait. Is that a light? If I follow the light, I might be able to reach him. . .the light of my life. Riku. . .just hold on a little longer. I'm coming._

(End Sora's POV)

* * *

Riku had collapsed on the sheets, crying in little sobs and whimpers, clutching Sora's hand. It had been twenty-five minutes, and he was starting to lose hope. 

"Please, Sora, wake up," he whined to his boyfriend.

"Is this … heaven?" the brunette asked, while opening his eyes cutely as Riku slowly raised his head to look around.

"Sora? You're alive?" Riku asked, hysterical. A wave of relief washed over him as he saw Sora blink a couple of times. He reached forward and grabbed the boy in a tight hug, careful of the IV attached to his arms and heart monitors. "Sora, Sora, Sora," he murmured as hugged him, his face buried in his lover's shoulder. He let go of the boy a little and gently kissed him on the lips as the doctor came in.

"He – he actually woke up? That's a miracle! I didn't think he would actually wake up!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Riku growled at the doctor, holding Sora as tight to him as was possible giving his current condition.

"Well, it's just that in cases like that, the patient doesn't usually wake up after that long. I was just kind of humoring you a little, you know, because you just looked so sad and needy," the doctor said. Riku just glared at him a little before he finally said, "I'll get some nurses to move Sora into the recover rooms."

"Okay," Sora replied. The doctor left, and soon afterwards a small group of nurses came to move Sora to the recovery rooms. They moved him efficiently and quickly, and he was soon settled into a recovery room. Once they had finished, they tried to kick Riku out.

"Visiting hours are over," one of the nurses growled at Riku when he refused to leave.

"I'm staying! Sora needs me!" he replied protectively and stubbornly.

"Come back tomorrow!"

"Please let him stay," Sora pleaded, putting on his cutest pout. "Please? At least for tonight?"

"Fine," the nurse said with a sigh. Sora inwardly smirked. Nobody could resist the pout. Riku went over next to Sora, and pulled a chair close to Sora's bedside.

"I'm so sorry I let you down," Riku said sadly as he clutched Sora's hand in his.

"But you kept your promise. You didn't let _him_ hurt me," Sora replied, smiling at his lover.

"I guess that's true," he said.

"Speaking of him, whatever happened?"

"Well, when I woke up, you weren't there. Then I found the note, and I got everyone from the hotel. Then, when I got to the Gizmo Shop, I heard a loud scream from the roof. We climbed to the roof, and when I got there, I heard a bunch of whimpers and pleading. But when I went to go get you, a group of those robed freaks came out and attacked us. That delayed me a little, but Leon and Cloud helped me cut a pathway through them until we could reach the door."

"And after that?" Sora asked, truly interested.

"Well, I finally got the door open and I heard a gasp come from a room down the hall. When I got there, I saw that freak of nature using you to pleasure himself. When he tried to make you suck off of him, I lost it. I wanted to strangle him until he turned blue. And you know the rest after that."

"Yeah, but what happened after Larxene took Kairi?"

"Oh, after that, I had almost gotten him, but the coward got away before I could kill him. Right after he left, everyone came in, and then we heard that loud scream. We rushed over broke the door open, and then found you there, all bloody. It hurt me so much, words can't describe it," Riku said, his voice breaking in the last sentence.

"I'm sorry," Sora said, putting a hand on Riku's cheek as a tear rolled down his cheek. "I caused you so much pain. I – I'm really sorry, Riku. I love you," he said.

Riku looked up at him and leaned forward to give him a kiss on the lips. As their lips contacted, Sora reached forward and grabbed him and pulled him closer, making Riku tumble onto the bed, never breaking the kiss. Sora scooted over and Riku clambered on top, holding Sora into his embrace. Riku licked Sora's lips, asking for access, which the younger boy gave him gratefully. He explored Sora's familiar mouth for awhile, enjoying the taste of it. They finally broke away, each one taking deep breaths.

"I love you, too, Sora," Riku whispered to his lover, before starting to get off the bed. "I should probably get going," he said.

"Wait! Don't leave me," Sora cried, clutching onto Riku's shirt.

"But won't the nurses get mad?" Riku asked, smiling down sweetly at the boy.

"I don't care! I don't want you to go! Don't leave me," Sora whined, shaking his head furiously as tears came to his eyes.

"Alright, I'll stay," he said, lying back next to Sora. He hugged Sora tightly, and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips as the younger boy got settled. "I love you, Sora."

"I love you too. I'm so happy to be with you."

* * *

_The Next Morning:_

Riku awoke as the sunlight shown through the window, waking him with the early dawns light. He shifted slightly, and felt someone clutch tighter to his side. He opened his eyes and looked down at the sleeping brunette. He gave a gentle smile at how innocent the boy looked when he was like that. Purely innocent.

"Riku …" the boy muttered, clutching tighter. Riku untangled himself from the boy's grip and slowly stood up, and then quietly left. He went down to the waiting room and found the phone. The silver haired boy pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and dialed the number written on it, then listened to it ring for a minute before someone picked it up.

"Hello?" a female voice asked on the other end.

"Hey, Yuffie," Riku said, as he recognized the voice.

"Riku? Is that you? How's Sora? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, he's fine," Riku said, much to the older girl's relief. "Last night he gave me a real scare when he wouldn't wake up from the anesthesia, but he's doing all right now. He's sleeping."

"That's a relief," she replied. "Kairi is still sleeping. When she wakes up we'll come by and see him. Poor things. I'd never want to go through what they did."

"I know what you mean. I should probably go see Sora now. He might be waking up soon."

"Okay. See you later."

"You too," he answered, hanging up the phone. He made his way back up to Sora's room, and sat down next to him. "Sora … Why do people always do this to you? I just don't understand … Why? It's not fair, to you and me. You never did anything to anyone. You're always so kind and sweet. I … just don't understand," he said, shaking his head. He leaned forward and started stroking the boy's cinnamon locks. He started purring in his sleep, enjoying the feel of Riku's fingers running through his hair.

"Riku, is that you?" he asked, slowly waking up. He rubbed his eyes and purred again at Riku's touch.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Riku asked still petting his lover.

"Mmmm … no …" he managed out, relaxing against the pillows. "This feels good."

"I'm glad. I'll take care of you now, Sora. I want you to be happy," he said.

"But I am happy," the younger replied. "As long as you're here, I'm happy. This is just a bonus," he added, leaning into the silver's touch.

"Well, I'll make sure that you get as many bonuses as you can," he replied.

"Thanks, Riku. I – I love you."

* * *

Later that day, Kairi, Yuffie, Aerith, and Cloud came and visited Sora in the hospital. Earlier that morning, Lulu had received an urgent call from Auron saying that she was needed back in the mountains. Lately there had been more and more Heartless surrounding the mountain, making it harder and harder to protect the dojo and its students. Leon had gone down to the Gummiport with her. Later that evening, he came to visit, if only for a little while. 

With each visitor, Sora seemed happier, and was disappointed when they had to leave. He felt his stomach growl, and he whined when he realized that he hadn't eaten anything all day, protesting that the hospital food tasted like dirt.

"All right, all right, Sora," Riku said with a chuckle as he reached into his back pocket to check to make sure he had his wallet. "I'll go get you a sandwich from the supermarket down the street."

"Really? Thanks Riku!" Sora exclaimed.

"Don't get to excited, you'll hurt yourself," Riku said with a smirk on his face. "I know visiting hours are going to be over soon, but Yuffie, will you stay and watch over him?"

"Sure," Yuffie said, kicking back in the chair with a book that she had been reading. Riku quickly left the hospital, and then headed down to the grocery store down the street. He hadn't been gone for more than 5 minutes, when a dark portal started to form in the room, making Yuffie jump from her seat and Sora huddle up in a ball. "Who are you, and what do you want?" Yuffie demanded.

"Guess who," a strong male voice said, and a man stepped through the portal. His long, white hair trailed down his body as he surveyed the crouching boy.

"Not you!" Yuffie whined, preparing herself to attack. "If you take him now, he'll die within the week! He's not recovered yet!"

"Do you think I care? Besides, he won't last a week anyways, not with what I'm planning for him," Sephiroth said, an evil glint to his eyes.

"Leave me alone!" Sora cried, feeling weak and frail while just laying there without any possible way to fight.

"Yeah, right," Sephiroth snorted, making a move to go towards Sora. But as he extended his arm, he soon found a shuriken in his arm.

"Leave, now," Yuffie growled, with a dangerous look in her eyes. She flung two more at lightning speed, and they landed on his back. Sephiroth looked shocked. This had never happened before. With a snarl of rage, he grabbed the small knives and flung them back at Yuffie, who narrowly avoided them. "Hey!" she yelled angrily.

"Give up. You shall not win," he said in a dark voice as he started towards Sora once again. The now panicking brunette was frantically looking for a way to save himself, and he spotted one of Yuffie's knives on the edge of the table. He leapt out of the bed, landing on the floor, and grabbed the knife as Sephiroth came near, and stabbed it into the man's leg. He yelped in pain and leaped back, before looking at the knife that was wedged into his leg. He yanked it out and through it away, before he started running towards Sora, bent on hurting the little boy. But before he could reach him, Yuffie threw a shuriken at him, hitting him in the chest.

Sephiroth, now bleeding profusely, yelled in frustration, and decided to teleport away, but first he had to make sure that they were punished. Since he was in no condition to try and take Sora now, he sent a spell and knocked Yuffie and Sora out, and then, set Sora's bed on fire, making the room ablaze. He grinned evilly and teleported out of the room, a small sense of satisfaction with his work. The fire was getting hotter and hotter; the hospital was now alight and could be seen for many miles. People were starting to rush around to get out of the building, but forgot about the two trapped people in Sora's room. The smoke was reaching new heights, as everyone in the hospital got out … that is, all except for two …

Riku had just gotten out of the store when he heard the sirens going off in the distance, and he new something was wrong. He looked over and saw the bright light given off from the flames, and he dropped the bag he was holding and rushed over to the building.

"Sora!" he screamed, trembling as he said this. He ran over to where everyone was gathered on the small yard, and frantically searched for Sora. But he was nowhere to be seen. "Sora! Where's Sora?" he yelled, running blindly through the gathered crowd, only to run into someone. He looked up and was surprised to see Sora's doctor. "Where's Sora?" he asked, clinging to the doctor's coat.

"We still don't have an inventory of who's made it out. He might be around here, but there's no way to know for sure."

"How did this start?"

"As far as we can tell, someone set a fire in their rooms that the sprinkler system was unable to put out. I just don't understand how it could have happened! The flames just won't go out at all!" the doctor said, before someone who was badly burned called his attention away. But as he said this, Riku knew for sure who had done it. And, even though he didn't know for sure, he had a bad feeling that Sora hadn't been saved from the fire. It was feeling of dread that was overpowering, and he burst through the crowd, running towards the burning building. He ran inside, much to the firefighters protests, and frantically climbed the stairs to Sora's room.

He was only two floors away when the flames had finally trapped him, leaving him no chance of escape as the flames crept closer. He already had a few burns on his arms and legs, leaving his skin marked and his clothes singed. He held out his hands to protect his face from the heat, and without thinking, said, "Cold!" Strange blue crystals came from his hand, making the fire die down. Riku stood there in shock, before remembering that he still had to save Sora. Resolving to think about it later, he hurried up to his lover's room.

The sweaty boy burst into the room, and his eyes widened in shock at the sight. There were flames everywhere, engulfing the small, frail boy and his ninja companion. Blood was evident on the floor, but whose, Riku could not tell. Fear was evident in his eyes as he carefully made his way over to the boy, and gently picked him up, slinging him onto his back with practiced ease. He carefully picked up Yuffie, and started out of the room, managing to carry both. Halfway down, Yuffie started to stir, and woke up quickly, and was able to carry herself as the group picked their way down.

Finally, they made it out, and, gasping for clean air, the two conscious people collapsed a good ways away from the burning building. Riku was only faintly conscious as he noticed the firemen picking up the already passed out Yuffie and his still unconscious lover. He finally collapsed into darkness as they gathered him up as well, only one person on his mind.

_Sora …

* * *

_

Riku awoke the next morning, set up in a makeshift hospital set up in the local park. There were tents everywhere, all holding patients that had luckily escaped the fire. Riku was surprised to learn that only two people had died in that fire, and amazingly, everyone else had survived, although not without injuries. Some people were severly burned, and many other problems wrong with them.

"Where's Sora?" was the first thing Riku had asked when he had regained conscious the next morning, and after a few demands on both parts, Riku had been moved next to Sora. He had bad burns on his body, but thankfully, none were too serious. Sora would be just fine.

"Sora … are you okay? What happened?" Riku asked, holding the younger boy's hand, much to the disapproval of a few nurses and patients. He just glared at them and ignored them; nothing was more important then his angel.

"Well, Sephiroth came, and when he couldn't win, he got angry, and knocked me out. I don't remember anything else. Sorry," Sora said, a sheepish grin on his face.

"That's my Sora. No matter what you always have a grin," Riku said, before the doctor came around to tell everyone that it was lights out.

"I love you, Riku," Sora murmured as he fell asleep.

"I love you, too, Sora. I'm just glad that you're alive."

The next morning as the light shown through the tents, Riku awoke to find the bed next to him empty. He asked around, and the more answers he got, the less uneasy he felt. Nobody knew where he was. Growing alarmed, he started panicking, until he found one old lady that said she saw what had happened last night after he had fallen asleep.

"You see, there was this hooded man here, and I thought he might just be a relative … why do you look so pale?" she asked, noticing that Riku's face had paled at the words "hooded man." Sora, was gone.

* * *

**Authoress' Sugar High-ness:**

Yes, me and my cliffies. Like I said, almost to the last chapter. If you guys have any questions or anything, I tell you when to ask them, so I can answer them in the epilogue. But thank you all sooo much for reading this story! I look forward to reading your reviews! Review, and ja ne!


	11. More Than Life Itself

**Silver Haired Savior**

**More than Life Itself**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or the song. Evanescence owns "My Last Breath." I don't. Don't sue!

**Author's Notes:  
**This is regretfully the last chapter, excluding the epilogue. More info at the bottom.

**_Heavy "T" Rating!_****

* * *

**

_Two days later:_

_Roses? I – I smell roses …is it Riku?_

Sora slowly opened his eyes at the familiar smell, but the sight he saw was not a recognizable place. Dirt was evident on the walls and ceiling, not the usual tent roof that he saw. He tried moving his hands and legs, but as he did, he could feel ropes cutting into his skin, holding him down to a stiff, wooden table.

"H-Huh? Where am I?" Sora asked, panic stricken. "I don't like it here! How did I get here? I d-don't remember anything! Where's Riku?"

"I wouldn't be worrying about him, brat," a cold, harsh voice said from somewhere to the right of him. "I made sure that he wouldn't find you until after tomorrow."

"What do you mean? Why tomorrow? What's going to happen?" Sora questioned, getting frustrated.

"You'll find out soon enough …" the voice replied,

"Wait –" Sora started, but was cut off as the door slammed, sending a ripple of wind towards Sora, tousling his hair and ruffling the folds of his robe. Wait. Since when was he wearing a robe?

Covering his frail body was a long, black silk robe that wrapped around his body from his neck past his feet. The fabric felt soft against his skin, but it carried a dark, ominous feeling with it. He knew that it was evil, and whatever it's purpose, it was going to be painful.

"Help me … I feel light headed …" Sora muttered as he fell into darkness.

* * *

Riku was now having a nervous break down. Sora was gone, and nobody had any clue as to where he might be. Everyone had been searching non-stop since Leon had finally been able to figure out why Sephiroth wanted Sora so badly. He was about to go against nature. 

"Cloud, were you able to find any trace of them?" Riku asked anxiously as he entered the house. The older boy had been released from the hospital the other day, and had been worrying constantly.

"I'm sorry, Riku," Cloud said with a sigh as he gazed towards the ground. He couldn't stand to look the boy in the face. Every time he did, he felt guilty. "I have a feeling he may not even be in this world any more. I think he's in Hallow Bastion by now."

"Do you really think …?"

"I've been talking to Leon. He agrees with me."

"Then- Then we have to go after him!" Riku cried.

"Only one problem. We need a ship that can get us there."

"I think I have a solution to that," a voice said from the doorway. They turned and saw Yuffie leaning against the doorway, a smug look on her face.

"Do you really have a way for us to get to Hallow Bastion?" Riku asked grabbing on to the older girl's arm.

"Sure do! We can go as soon as everyone's ready."

"Well, then let's go now!"

"We should wait until Leon and Aerith get back," Cloud said.

"But –" Riku started.

"Cloud is right. We should wait. We'll have a better chance of beating him if there are more of us," Yuffie said as she cut off the boy's protests.

"But if we don't, then Sora will be …" Riku started, but stopped as his voice broke.

"I know, Riku, I know."

* * *

When Sora woke up, he was only alone for a moment before he heard a door open. 

"Finally, you're awake … that will make this more … _fun,_" the cruel voice said. Footsteps could be heard getting closer and closer to the young boy and it was all he could do not to start quivering in fear at the pain that he knew the man would inflict. "Oh, what's that look for, little Sora-kun? Aren't you excited? You get to be useful in the spell that I'm doing."

"Wh- what spell?" Sora asked, hating himself because his voice was cracking. 'I have to be strong. I can't let him enjoy himself … not again …'

The sound of a knife being unsheathed pulled him shakily out of his thoughts. He strained his neck to see what he was doing, but it was a wasted effort as Sephiroth came closer to the small boy, so that he could see him.

"Don't be scared, Sora. It will only hurt a little …" he said, his dark eyes gleaming with the way he said it sent shivers up Sora's spine. He leaned in closer. "But that doesn't mean that it won't hurt," he taunted, alcohol evident in his breath. Sora's eyes widened.

He brought the knife close to Sora's skin with an evil grin, and lightly started making marks on the young boy's chest. The cuts stung sharply, making the boy clench his eyes shut, and grit his teeth in pain.

"Come now, Sora, don't try to act tough. You and I both know that you want to cry out in pain. Let it out," he murmured to the weak boy, suddenly pressing harder and making Sora give an involuntary scream of pain.

"St-stop it!" Sora yelled, trying to regain his composure.

"But it's just so much fun," the older man replied, as he continued to draw a mark on the creamy skin. The pain was intense, making Sora's toes curl and his fingers dig into the wood. After what seemed like forever of the torture, the knife finally let up, and Sora carefully opened his eyes. He saw Sephiroth licking the blade of the knife clean, Sora's blood running down the side. He whimpered softly at the sight, hoping it was inaudible enough for Sephiroth to hear. But, of course, he did, and he flashed an evil grin towards his victim and laughed a cruel laugh at the boy's reaction.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Sora cried.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he said with a mysterious air, as he moved closer to Sora, who tried to pull away from him out of instinct. He bent over and started licking the blood away from Sora's new mark. Sora felt dirty as he did this, and even worse when after he finished lapping up the crimson liquid, he started kissing the young boy on the lips, the coppery taste of his own blood making Sora cringe at the taste. A knock on the door quickly brought the older man off of him.

"Damn it," he muttered, walking away from Sora. "We'll continue this later," he scoffed, and left. Sora looked down at the mark on his chest, and started to sob as he realized what it was.

"No," Sora cried pitifully, and wept. For on his chest was the sign of the Heartless.

* * *

"Come on, hurry up!" Riku yelled as they traveled through the second district. 

"We're going as fast as we can!" Leon yelled back angrily while running to catch up with anxious boy.

"Well, it's not fast enough!" he retorted heatedly. They arrived at the giant wooden gate that linked the second district to the first, and Riku quickly pushed it open and went through, followed closely by Yuffie, Aerith, Cloud, and Leon. "Okay, so where is the person who has the gummi ship?"

"He should be over this way," she said, walking over to what seemed like an abandoned counter. "Ciiiid? Where are you?" she hollered over the counter. After receiving no reply, Yuffie started cussing under her breath. "Come on, guys," she said, jumping down a small cliff that was next to a building.

"Where is he?" Riku asked, following the young ninja.

"He might be in here," she muttered more to herself than to anyone in particular. They traveled around the building and was about to enter it, when suddenly, a group of darkball Heartless appeared, blocking their entrance.

"MOVE!" Riku screamed, pulling out a sword. He launched forward and started taking down the intruders one by one. With the help of everyone in the group, they quickly defeated the Heartless.

"What's with all the racket?" a gruff male voice asked, opening the door to the small shop.

"You should be grateful, Cid, we just saved your shop from some Heartless," Cloud said with an uninterested air. "I just can't believe you're still in Traverse Town, old man."

"Watch who you're calling old man, Cloud," he replied, and opened the door all the way to let them in. He watched as they all passed by, one by one into the warmth of the shop, and glanced at Riku before saying, "Who's this?"

"Cid, this is Riku. We need a gummi ship to take us to Hallow Bastion," answered Aerith.

"Hallow Bastion? Why would any sane person want to go there?"

"Because he has Sora!" Riku yelled, his worry becoming almost too much.

"You mean Sora as in '_Prince_ Sora?' But he's been missing for years!" He glared at Riku. "Are you the one who kidnapped him?"

"No! Don't tell me that you actually believed that bastard?" Riku asked angrily.

"Cid, I should have told you earlier, but I have to tell you, Sora wasn't kidnapped, he ran away! Ansem was abusing him, and he finally decided he couldn't take it anymore," Yuffie huffed. "Now, we need that gummi ship!"

"But why? If Ansem is dead, then he being back on Hallow Bastion should be a good thing!"

"But Sora doesn't even remember that he's a prince. The only thing he wants now is to be with Riku," Leon interjected.

"And if we don't hurry, Sora will … he'll … be …" Riku tried saying it, but the thought of it was just too much for him to bear. He slumped down and started sobbing into his arm."

Cid sighed. "Fine, I'll take you. But on the way, maybe you should start from the beginning."

"Deal!" Yuffie said, shaking Cid's hand.

* * *

"STOP IT!" Sora screamed, as he was ruthlessly pounded into the floor. His hands were tied behind his back, and he cried out in pain as he felt his nude body being used by the older man. He felt wetness between his legs and he knew it was blood. "Please, stop!" he cried out mournfully. 

"Almost … there … ahhh," Sephiroth cried out as he released himself deep inside of Sora. "S-Sora …" he yelled, as he rode wave after wave of pleasure, not even caring that the boy underneath him was crying and bleeding profusely.

"I want Riku," Sora cried, and he winced as Sephiroth pulled out of his frail body.

"Well, too bad! Riku's not coming for you, and by the time he does get here, it will be too late! Heh-heh. Are you ready for another round? Just seeing you like this is turning me on," he whispered.

"NO," Sora yelled, struggling to get away by bucking his hips and scooting away.

"Now, now, Sora, that only turns me on more. Just look how excited I am," he said with an evil grin on his face. He grabbed Sora roughly by the hips and pulled him back in front of him. "Now brace yourself," he told him before roughly entering him again.

"Oww," Sora howled in pain as he felt his body being used again in agonizing pain. "It hurts!" When Sephiroth finally did finish, he redressed Sora in the black silk robe, and re-tied him to the wooden table.

"I wasn't lying when I said that we'd finish later. Sleep well tonight, for it will probably be your last," he said, and sauntered out the door. It closed with a slam, and locked with a small click.

"Riku … help me. If you don't, I may not survive much longer. Riku …" Sora sobbed as he passed out from blood loss and shock.

* * *

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Riku whined as they flew in the gummi ship. 

"This is fast as it can go! Now sit down before I strap you to your seat!" Cid snapped while flying the ship. "Hey, Leon, we got some Heartless ships up ahead," he called down to Leon, who was shooting the Heartless down with the cannons and lasers.

"But I just have this feeling that – that Sora's in a lot of pain right now. He _needs_ me! Sora's helpless without me!"

"He'll just have to survive on his own until we get there. Now, SIT DOWN!" Cid yelled. With a small puff of frustration, Riku sat in his seat and gazed out the window, staring at the many stars and worlds that they passed.

"Sora … what's wrong?" the young boy muttered to himself. "Why do I have this sharp pain in my heart? Why do I have this portentous, menacing feeling that you're – you're," Riku gulped, almost too afraid to finish the sentence, "Gonna die?"

"Whoa! We got a huge Heartless coming at us from straight ahead. Brace yourselves and strap on your seat belts," Cid called to all of the passengers of the gummi ship. "This thing is huge!"

"What is it?" Yuffie asked.

"Looks like a giant Darkside! What he's doing out here I'll never know! They don't usually just come out like this!"

"I know why it's here," Riku said grimly. "Sephiroth sent him to keep us away from Sora till he finishes that sick spell of his! We can't let him beat us! We **have** to get to Sora!"

"He's right. We have to get around this thing or beat it as soon as possible," Aerith agreed.

"Cloud, go help Leon at the guns. Riku, Yuffie, Aerith, hold on tight," Cid ordered. Cloud climbed the ladder and joined his lover at the cannons, and everyone strapped on their seat belts. The ship did some fancy maneuvers in the air, avoiding dark balls of energy that was being sent at the small ship.

"I hope we make it out of this," Leon muttered more to himself, but Riku heard him.

"But … we have to … we just _have_ to."

* * *

"Come on, we're almost to the top." 

"But I've been carrying this kid up thirty flights of stairs!"

"Quit whining!"

"Easy for you to say!"

"Uhhh … huh?" Sora moaned as he woke up. He realized that he was no longer strapped to the wooden table, but he was on something warm and soft, although not very comfortable. "What's going on?"

"Geeze, he's finally awake! I would have said he was dead if it hadn't been for the slight breathing," a tall red headed woman said.

"Well, now that he's awake, he can walk himself!" a taller red headed man snapped, grumbling as he set Sora down on the ground. The young boy's hands were bound together in front of him with a rope that scratched at his skin, and Sora winced as it cut into his skin. Sitting down next to him, the older man grabbed the rope holding tightly to Sora's bound hands. The young boy looked from the woman to the man and back again. They looked so alike that they could be siblings.

"Aww. He's kinda cute. Too bad Sephy won't let me play with him."

"Don't call him that! You know that he will have your head if he hears you! Besides, you know that the runt is _his_ play-thing."

"Hey, don't call me a runt! And I'm not a play-thing!" Sora yelled angrily.

"Heh. Like it matters. You're going to be dead within the night as it is."

"What? Why won't anyone tell me what is gonna happen to me?"

"Sorry, kido. We're not allowed to tell you," the woman said.

"But – it's … it's not fair …" Sora whined.

"Yeah, well, who said life was fair?" the man asked rhetorically while standing up. "Come on," he said, tugging on the rope as he climbed the stairs, making Sora stumble at the abruptness. He glared daggers at the sibling's backs, but they either didn't notice or didn't care. He tried to pull away from the rope, but the man's grip was too strong. So, grudgingly, he followed the two up the stairs.

* * *

"That was a close one!" Cid exclaimed, relieved as they flew away from the remains of their battle with the giant Heartless. A thick fog of darkness surrounded the area, so thick and black that when inside you couldn't even see the stars around you, much less where you're going. 

"But we didn't get through it fast enough! It's almost sunset! If we don't hurry, he'll start the spell and then we'll be too late!" Riku growled.

"Well, we're almost there," Yuffie said, looking at the map and trying to comfort the boy, although she knew it was a lost cause.

"But … what if we're too late? What then?" Riku whispered, burying his face in his arm.

"Oh, Riku," Aerith cooed, walking over to the younger boy who was curled up in a ball on his chair. She gently grabbed his chin and lifted his face until his gaze met hers. His aqua eyes glistened with unshed tears, and it was taking all his self control not to have a mental break down. Dropping his face, which fell back into his arm, she sat down next to him She patted his back. "Oh, Riku, Riku, Riku. It really is okay to cry. I know you're worried about him; it's natural to be afraid for him. You – you're still only a kid, no matter how tough or mature you act, that's all you really are. You can cry if you want to. After all, they say that tears are diamonds of the eyes. Do you think Sora deserves them?"

"Of – of course I do! Sora deserves more than I could ever give him! I'm just lucky that it's enough for him. That _I'm_ enough for him … I – I want my Sora!" Riku yelled, sobbing into his arm.

"Riku … we all want him back," the ninja said, trying her best to comfort him.

"We're here!" Cid yelled up to them, and they all looked out the front window as he came into a landing near the castle. It was much later than they had thought. It was, in fact, nearly night, and it was all Riku could do not to jump from the gummi ship before it landed.

"Hurry up!" Riku yelled as he threw open the door to the gummi ship and jumped down. Waiting impatiently for the adults, he stood there waiting, his anxiety growing every second. Once everyone was on the ground, they started towards the looming castle. _Sora, hang on just a little longer _…

* * *

"What are you going to do? Why out here? Why now?" Sora asked, confused. They had reached a plateau on top of the castle, but Sephiroth was no where to be seen … yet. He had a dark, haunting feeling that the silver haired man would be there soon, bringing with something to hurt him with. 

"I told you, brat, I can't tell you!" the red haired man replied with a hiss, tying Sora to the wall.

"Why not?"

"Because it's against my orders! Now be quiet!" he hissed.

"Fine. But at least … tell me your name!"

"Why?"

"Because I asked!"

The red head sighed as he tied the final knot. "Axel," he said, and walked slowly away.

"I wish Riku were here …" His voice was full of desperation.

* * *

"Come on, through here!" Riku called, as he ran up to the castle gates. He busted the door open to reveal a large hall. Two stairs ran up to the second level, one on each side. Dust was afloat in the air, making the young boy sneeze as a cloud hit his face. He ran inside, trying franticly to find a clue – a scent, piece of clothes, anything – that would lead him to where Sora was. But as he looked around, he found nothing but dirt and grime. 

"Where do you think he went?" Yuffie asked, looking around the musty room. They walked up the stairs, still searching for a hint of Sora. When they had searched the entire room, the small group still hadn't found anything.

"Come on, let's move on," Cloud said, and opened the door straight across from the entrance. Inside they found a long hallway, with an eerie door at the end. They cautiously, but quickly hurried through to the door, wary of traps that might be waiting for them. As they exited the hall and entered the room, the scent of Sora hit Riku in the face, and he anxiously looked around for the brunette. Of course, he wasn't, but the silver haired boy found some other things that belonged to Sora.

He found Sora's clothes stuffed lazily into a corner of the room, the foul man's scent covering the clothes. He found the wooden tablet that Sora had been chained to, and he saw the soaked in blood, staining the surface. He could smell Sephiroth's scent on that, as well, and it made his heart burn with anger.

"Sora …" he whispered, fearing that he might be too late. He stole a quick glance at his watch, and he saw that it was nearly time. The scent of the younger boy was coming from another area of the room, and Riku ran over. A large, black doorway was visible. "Come on! They weren't here to long ago!" Riku yelled, and burst through the door. The others quickly followed the worried youth, and climbed higher and higher.

'Gods! How high is this damn castle anyways?' thought Riku as he kept going up and up what seemed like an endless flight of stairs. He found another door up ahead, and with a surge of hope he sprinted to the top and broke down the door only to find an open plateau. He looked around angrily, tears stinging his eyes and threatening to spill out. He ran out in to the open, and rounded a corner of the castle to see yet another doorway. But there was something different about this one, making Riku smash himself into the wall so that he couldn't be seen. A swoosh of long, silver hair disappear through the doorway, and a red haired lady stood in front of the doorway, guarding it.

"Don't worry, I'll keep the door locked and intruders out till the ceremony is over," the lady said, and the door shut with a slam. She leaned against the door way, making sure no one got in, and no one got out.

"What's going on, Riku?" Leon asked as he joined Riku behind the wall.

"Sephiroth just disappeared up those flights of stairs. I think Sora's up there. But first we have to get around this guard," the young boy whispered to the older brunette.

"Well, what should we do?" Aerith asked, overhearing what the silver haired boy had said.

"I think she's were gonna have to fight her before anyone gets through," Cloud interjected.

"That's probably true," Yuffie said.

"So … are we just gonna jump out, or what?" Riku questioned.

"Hey! You there! Hiding behind the wall! Out! Now!" the red head summoned, answering Riku's question for him.

"So, you found us," Yuffie said coolly, walking out first.

"But what are you going to do about it?" Aerith asked, standing next to Yuffie.

"I'm going to fight you!" the red haired lady yelled, pulling out a weapon unknown to them.

"Wh-what kind of weapon is that?" Riku asked as he stood behind the two girls, the two other men standing behind him.

"This? It's what's called a shiraffé," she said, brandishing the weapon. It was a circular weapon, with sharp spikes surrounding it. "Observe." The weapon burst into flames, and she got into a fighting stance, the twirling, flaming object held threateningly out.

"Whatever you call it, a weapon is still just a weapon in your hands. Bring it!" Yuffie replied, pulling out some shuriken as Aerith took a fighting stance beside her.

"We'll help too!" Leon said, pulling out his gunblade, but was stopped by Yuffie's outstretched hand.

"No! You need to save strength for other battles. Aerith and I can take her."

"Yeah, Yuffie and I can take her. As soon as there is an opening, I want you to go, no matter what you hear, or what you see."

"But –" Leon started, but Riku silenced him.

"We understand."

"Good. Now bring it!" Yuffie yelled, flinging her shuriken towards the other girl, two connecting, two others barely missing. The red head rushed forward, casually brushing aside the shuriken like they were nothing, and continuing straight for Yuffie. The young ninja leapt out of the way, dodging the attacks that were sent upon her, and Aerith put up a shield, guarding her from the attack. The red head jumped back as a fire spell whizzed passed her, and dodged another well aimed shuriken.

"Heh. You're pretty good for a fighter," said Aerith, putting a protect spell on Yuffie.

"Yeah. What's your name?" Yuffie asked, panting slightly.

"Arida," she said simply, before charging back in, her weapons a blur as everything moved all to fast for the untrained eye. Aerith aimed a blizzard spell at Arida, and it connected, effectively putting it out for a moment, lessening the attack on Yuffie. The raven haired ninja took out a special shuriken from her pouch, and held it up to the air. It glowed blue, and became huge, and the ninja used it to block the next flurry of attacks that was released upon the duo.

Throughout the entire duel, the two girls had been slowly moving the battle farther and farther away from the door, trying to make an opening for the men to go through. They kept the battle moving, as Leon, Cloud, and Riku sneakily moved towards the door, trying to go unscathed and unnoticed by Arida and her blazing weapons. They had just barely reached the door, when the insane red head noticed, and sent a flame spell their way, leaving herself open to one of Aerith's many lightning spells. The spell connected, making Arida cry out in pain and grab her arm. In her rage, she swung her weapons, and made contact with one of Yuffie's arms.

Leon quickly pulled the door open as the battle raged on, neither side winning, neither side losing. Cloud and Riku looked sympathetically towards their two battling friends, hoping more than anything that they would be okay.

"Hurry up! There's nothing more you can do! You heard them; they wanted us to go no matter what. It's nearly midnight!"

"O-okay!" Riku shakily agreed, and reluctantly followed Leon upstairs with an equally reluctant Cloud, both wanting to stay and watch the battle between the women. But they knew that they had to save Sora, otherwise they might never see him again. They walked in to the small room, and looked across the short hall. Great. More stairs. They charged up the stairs, heading closer and closer to the top, and closer and closer to what Riku promised himself would be the final confrontation with the ruler of Hallow Bastion.

* * *

Sora must have dozed off at some point because the next thing he knew was him waking up at the caress of his step-father's lover. The small contact sent shivers down Sora's spine, and they weren't shivers of pleasure. The small boy was dwarfed by the tall man's size, and he tried his best to press himself in the wall, wishing more than anything to be back home, cuddling with Riku and not having a care in the world. 

"I bet you want to be back home with that brat, don't you," Sephiroth asked coolly, still caressing Sora's chin. "Too bad you won't ever see him again. Pity, really," he said, but Sora could see that his eyes held no pity, no sympathy. Instead, they were laughing. At him. At Riku. At what he was about to do next. His eyes danced with uncontained mirth, but at what, Sora didn't know.

"And what exactly are you planning to do with me, huh?" Sora asked heatedly, angry at the man standing before him. He hated him. He feared him. He wanted to beat Sephiroth bloody. He was afraid that Sephiroth would beat him or Riku bloody. An inner duel raged inside his body, but right now, his anger was winning.

"I can't believe you still haven't guessed. Well, I'll humor you. First of all, Sora, do you know what tonight is?"

"No," Sora replied slowly, suspicious of the older man.

"Well, tonight is what people call a lunar eclipse. That's when the sun and the moon align directly. It will be happening at precisely midnight tonight, aligning the earth, sun, and moon in perfect harmony."

"So what does that have to do with kidnapping me, beating me, raping me, and all the other crap you've pulled, huh? Why the hell are you doing this to me, you sadistic bastard?" Sora yelled, feeling the ropes cut into his skin as he struggled against the bonds. "Just let me go!"

"My, what a foul mouth you've obtained. Who would've thought that such words come out of such a pure mouth? I'll tell you what this has to do with you. As you know, Ansem is dead. But, haven't you ever wanted to bring someone back from the dead, who their killed before it was their time to go? Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to be able to hold someone once again?"

"O-of course I have …" Sora said quietly, hanging his head. "My parents died! They died before it was their time! What about them, huh? How come they don't deserve a second chance?" Sora cried, still oblivious to the fact that it was, in fact, Sephiroth and Ansem who killed his parents.

"Well, I've found a spell to bring my lover back, but the cost was higher than one might have expected. Of course, it requires a blood offering, that I could have done myself. It requires it to be when 'the universe is aligned.' In other words, during the eclipse. But there was one more thing. 'A flesh offering covered in dark silk.' That one confused me for a bit, before I realized that I needed a human sacrifice. In other words, you," he finished, an evil smile on his face.

"M-me? B-but why?" Sora asked, truly frightened now that he knew what Sephiroth was planning once and for all. He was going to use Sora to bring back Ansem.

* * *

Riku, Leon, and Cloud hurried up the stairs, two at a time when they had the energy to jump that many. They went higher and higher, until they reached another door and Riku quickened his pace and threw it open, effectively startling the red haired man there. He took one glance at them, and a devilish grin spread across his face. With a fluid motion, he moved towards them and away from the door that he was guarding and pulled out his weapons. 

"You must be the rescue party for that little brat. Name's Axel and I will be destroying you today," he said, throwing a flurry of fire spells at the small group. Instinctively, Leon and Cloud held up their weapons in defense, protecting themselves and Riku at the same time.

"What, too cowardly to give us a chance, Axel?" Leon said with a smirk on his face.

"Wait a second! I know you! Long time no see, _Squall_," Axel said, a smirk on his face as well.

"It's _Leon_ now," Leon growled.

Riku and Cloud looked confused. "You two know each other?" Riku asked, a delicate eyebrow arched with amusement.

"Hey, Cloud. Do you remember how when I was younger I was sent to that summer camp and you missed me sooo much?"

"Yes," Cloud said begrudgingly.

"Well, meet my number one enemy's best friend. Axel was best friends with a man named Seifer."

"Well, an enemy of Leon's is an enemy of mine!" Cloud said, and pulled out his sword. Riku pulled out his Soul Eater sword, and got into fighting stance, but Cloud held him back. "Riku, it's going to be midnight very soon. If you don't hurry, you know what will happen to Sora."

"He's right, Riku. As soon as we clear an opening, I want you to go through. You have to save Sora," Leon whispered, before charging at Axel, weapon raised as he prepared to clash with the fiery red head. They met with a clang, metal and against metal as both men fought for dominance.

"Cloud … Riku … GO!" Leon hollered, holding Axel back with his gunblade. With a sprint of energy, Riku and Cloud went directly for the door, dodging various bullets from Leon's gunblade, and fire spells from Axel. They clawed the door open and started inside, but Cloud looked back worriedly at his lover.

"Leon … are you sure? Can you take him by yourself?" Cloud asked, his blue eyes glittering with rare unshed tears that only showed themselves when he was truly scared. Riku looked at him appraisingly. Who knew Cloud cared so much, with the way he acted?

"I'm sure! **Now GO!**" Leon yelled, while blocking a flurry of flames aimed at Cloud and Riku.

"Cloud!" Riku whined, tugging on the older man's shirt.

"Fine. Let's go," Cloud said, putting away his sword and running up the stairs.

* * *

"Stop it! It stings," Sora hissed as Sephiroth cut into his skin, effectively drawing some blood. He took the blood and started drawing weird symbols on Sora's legs and arms. "Leave me alone!" Sora screeched trying to wiggle away, although he knew it was a worthless attempt. The cut stung something fierce, and he whimpered softly at the touch. 

"Stop struggling, brat," Sephiroth spat, resisting the urge to force his way onto the boy. "Not long now, Sora, before you'll be gone, and I'll have my lover back."

"But … I don't wanna die …" Sora murmured while hanging his head, tears threatening to break from his sapphire eyes.

"Too bad," Sephiroth said as he grabbed a book from down by his feet. There was a loud crash outside the door, and the older man spun around towards the door. "Dammit," he muttered, and quickly flipped the book open to a page.

"Riku?" Sora asked, hope creeping into his voice.

"I highly doubt that even if he _is_ here, that he made it past all three guards. Now shut up, and let me work," he growled, turning his attention back to the book.

"You're wrong! Riku is gonna save me and he's going to kick your butt!" Sora yelled, his eyes defiant and fierce.

"Shut up, you little brat!" Sephiroth snapped, slapping the younger boy on the cheek, making him cry out.

"You … you'll never get away with it!" Sora screamed.

"I believe I already have," Sephiroth said as the sun slowly started to cover the moon.

"N-No!" Sora cried as he realized that the eclipse was almost at the highest point. _Hurry, Riku!

* * *

_

Riku could see a door up ahead, and he felt more hope than he ever had before. He sprinted to the top, and was almost there before a dark mist started to form in the way. A dark portal was opened, and a blonde woman stepped out.

"MOVE LARXENE!" Riku screamed, pulling out his Soul Eater sword, which he bought from Cid. He held it out threateningly, glaring at the blonde.

"Why? So you can save that slut of yours? I think not!" she said, getting into a fighting stance as well.

"Sora is NOT a slut! Now move, or I'll cut you down where you stand!"

"Oooh, such strong threats coming from a young boy. Care to show me that you can back those up?"

"With pleasure," Riku replied, his eyes narrowed in anger. He rushed forward, Cloud right behind him. He swung the sword at the blonde woman, who dodged it. Riku jumped back into the wall, missing a lightning bolt. Using his legs to spring off the wall, he launched at Larxene and managed to cut her with his sword, although it wasn't anything too serious.

"You jerk!" she cried, grabbing her arm in pain.

"That's nothing compared to what you did to Sora," Riku said coldly, landing in a crouching position a few feet away from her.

"Who cares what happens to him?" she shrieked angrily.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Cloud said, holding his sword out in a defensive position. "Riku doesn't love you. He never will. He loves Sora, not you. Do you really think he would risk his life like this for someone that he didn't care about? Do you honestly think that _any_ of us would be here if we didn't care about Sora? Well let me tell you, we wouldn't waste the energy if that were the case. Riku, go on. Save Sora before something really bad happens. I can handle her!"

"You – you bastard!" Larxene screeched, at a loss of words that someone would dare talk to her like that. "You – you're lying! Riku loves me!"

"No, I don't! Get that through your thick head!" Riku retorted heatedly.

"But – but I … No! I won't allow it! I'll **make** you love me!" she yelled, summoning up a large thunder attack. There was a loud crash as the lightning came down, and Cloud held his large sword up just in time to protect both him and Riku.

"Ergh … Riku … go! Just remember, that you're on your own now! There won't be anyone else to protect you. You have two lives to carry on your sword now. Both yours and Sora's. Go, and good luck. We'll join you when we can," Cloud said, staving off the attack.

"Thanks, Cloud," Riku said, and stealthily rushed past the blonde and towards the door.

* * *

"Unhh …" Sora moaned as the spell that Sephiroth was reading started to take hold of him. He was starting to glow with an eerie blackness that enveloped him, surrounded him. 

"That's it, Sora, let it take you. Give into the darkness. You can not win. Surrender your heart to the darkness, and forsake the light. It can't save you now. For, at one point, all hearts return to the darkness it was born in," the older man said, still using his magic on the boy.

"You – you're wrong!" Sora spat as he felt himself being pulled into the dark. "All hearts … are made of light! You chose to give your heart to the darkness. No one is born evil or hateful! It's something you learn! I refuse to give in!" Sora yelled, and his heart started to glow a bright light. The sound of a door being blasted open echoed through the plateau, and meekly Sora raised his head to look at the newcomer. "Riku!"

"Sora!" Riku yelled. "I can't believe that I was almost too late! Sephiroth, let Sora down now! He's too pure for your purposes! Someone with a heart that innocent will never succumb to the darkness!"

"Silence!" Sephiroth screamed. "All hearts return to the darkness! It is the way of the world! Your heart will be consumed by the darkness whether you like it or not!"

"Never!" Sora and Riku yelled simultaneously.

"I will not repeat myself again. Let. Sora. Go!" Riku said dangerously.

"No way!" the older man replied, sending another spell at Sora.

"Agh!" Sora cried as the darkness gripped tightly at his body, shocking his frail form with black thunderbolts. "It – it hurts!"

"Sora! That's enough, Sephiroth! You won't ever hurt him again!" Riku bellowed before charging at the evil tyrant. He slashed with his sword, but the older man evaded easily. He took out his whip and managed to smack the silver haired boy twice on the back. Riku winced at each contact and he felt blood running down his back, but he didn't care. He turned angrily to face the tyrant, and charged at him again, but this time he fell into a dodge roll and landed behind Sephiroth, then cut him on his arm.

Now angry, the silver haired man used his whip to captured the sword and fling it to another part of the plateau, far away from Riku. With an evil smirk, he made quick work of Riku's legs and arms before he was a bloody mess. But despite his wounds, Riku kept standing. He refused to let Sephiroth win.

"Riku! Please, stop! You'll only end up killing yourself!" Sora pleaded, although he knew it wouldn't work. He looked up at the sky and realized that if Riku didn't hurry, Sephiroth might win after all. He watched as the older man grabbed a hold of his wrist with the whip and knock him over using it, but the silver haired youth immediately struggled to his feet and, to the shock of everyone there, he wore a smirk.

"That all you got, old man?" he asked tauntingly, his breathing heavy as he managed out that short sentence. His eyes full of malice, he quickly jumped backwards in a back flip and managed to leap over to his sword. But as he reached for it, he also pulled out four shiny pieces of metal that neither Sora nor Sephiroth could identify at first. But as he took aim, Sora immediately recognized them. Shuriken.

But it was not Sephiroth who Riku was aiming for, but Sora. He flung the tiny weapons, Sora closed his eyes, waiting for the impact … but it never came. Instead, he felt the ropes that held him to the wall sever, and he fell to the ground unceremoniously, and lay there in a heap as shock and weariness caught up with him. But something else was wrong … he was still covered in the dark aura.

"Riku … something is wrong! It won't go away! The darkness, it won't go away!" Sora cried out, alarmed.

"What?" Riku asked, dodging another string of attacks from the older man. "But … it doesn't make any sense! It should have gone away!"

"Because, the spell is still in effect!" Sephiroth said, attacking the silver haired boy. With all of the jumping and leaping, Riku managed to slowly get over to Sora, and he looked at him questioningly as he blocked off another attack. Before Sephiroth could regain his composure, Riku stabbed him in the leg and the stomach, and the older man fell, cursing a line of swear words that Riku and Sora had never even heard before.

As the older man was distracted, Riku sunk to his knees and looked at Sora closely, and suddenly, he grabbed the brunette and held him closely. Despite the danger, Sora relaxed into the silver's touch, and wrapped his arms around Riku as the older boy held him protectively. "I love you, Sora," Riku murmured while kissing the top of his head, and slowly, the dark started to fade.

"I love you, too," Sora whispered right back, tears pricking at the back of his eyes. And as they held each other like that, the dark aura faded away, slower and slower until it had completely disappeared.

"N-NO!" Sephiroth yelled as he struggled to his feet, his hands clutching at the spot where Riku had stabbed him. "You – you can't win! Guards!" he roared, and the door burst open, revealing a raven haired boy followed by two other who were holding … bodies … They threw them into a heap, and Riku and Sora immediately recognixed who they were. There was Yuffie, Aerith, Arida, Leon, Axel, Cloud, and Larxene, all lying there, unmoving.

"Are … are they dead?" Sora whispered, barely able to believe his eyes.

"No, not dead, but all of them are badly injured and all are incapacitated at the moment," the raven haired boy said. Sora and Riku both let out a breath that they hadn't known they were holding at the news, but Sephiroth just grew angry.

"Those fools were supposed to keep intruders out! When they wake up, throw them in the dungeon!" he bellowed at the robed figures, who then walked out.

"Face it, Sephiroth, you've lost," Riku said in between breaths as he got to his feet with great effort. "You're plans have failed, and you will not win," he continued, but as he did Sephiroth got an evil grin on his face.

"But you see, not all hope is lost. You see, I can still make my plan work. All I need is _you!_" Sephiroth said, aiming his whip at Riku.

"Wh-what?" Riku asked, his eyes becoming huge in shock.

"I never realized it till now – what a fool I was for not realizing sooner!" Sephiroth said.

"Realize what?"

"You, Riku Renvulle, are a child of the dark. Haven't you ever wondered why you can smell things that normal people wouldn't? Why you can fight with the strength that other men can't? Or, lastly, why you can cast dark spells? It's because you are a dark child, just like me, Ansem, and a few other people here."

"A child of the dark? Me?" Riku asked, seriously confused by this point.

"Yes, a child of the dark. That is why you and Sora can never be together. It goes against destiny. He is a child of the light. Light and dark cannot clash. It goes against nature," Sephiroth said calmly.

"Screw destiny!" Riku yelled, aiming his sword at the man. "I may be a child of the dark, but there is one thing that sets me apart from you swine!"

"Oh yeah, what's that?" Sephiroth sneered.

"A heart!" he yelled, and stabbed him again through the arm. "That's something a jerk like you could never understand! And you, you bastard, have played with mine and Sora's too much!"

"D-Damn you," Sephiroth muttered, before he slowly stood up and pointed a shaking finger at them. "You will pay for that! I don't care if this spell does take my life! As long as it takes you with me, I don't give a damn!" he yelled, dragging his book next to him. He started flipping through the pages, searching for a spell.

"H-hey!" Riku yelled, charging towards his enemy, but was blown back by a powerful spell. Both he and Sora were slammed into the wall opposite the plateau.

"Ah, here it is! Prepare to die, brat! ULTIMATE DARKNESS: HEART CRUSH!" he yelled, his voice echoing as he a boding evil darkness emitted from him, headed straight towards Riku, and the older man fell to the ground, dead.

As Sora realized where the spell was headed, he did the only thing he could do. He protected Riku. The young brunette clutched on to the silver haired boy, shielding him with his own body. Pain coursed through his entire body, making the young boy grip tighter to the older boy's tattered, ripped shirt. The intense pain made the boy scream out in agony as he felt the spell trying to rip him apart from the inside out. The darkness was trying to crush his heart into a million pieces, but his will was too strong. His clothes started to shred themselves, and cuts opened up all over his frail body.

"Ahhhhhh!" Sora screamed, before the spell finally ceased, and he collapsed.

"S-Sora? What have you done?" Riku whispered in shock as his young lover collapsed on him. "N-No! S-Sora! Speak to me! Open your eyes!" Riku sobbed as he gathered his lover into his arms. "Sora?"

"R-Riku …" Sora said weakly, opening his eyes to reveal his sapphire depths. "It hurts … Are you okay, Riku?"

"Don't worry about me! What about you? You took that spell for me," he said quietly as tears slowly blossomed in his aquamarine eyes. "Oh, Sora, what have you _done?_" Riku asked again as a lone tear drifted down his face.

"My love, please don't cry for me. I did it because I love you. If I hadn't, you would have died," Sora replied gently, reaching a trembling hand to Riku's porcelain skin, he stroked his cheek and wiped away the tear that was rolling down it, and the two others that followed it.

"But Sora, now you're going to … you're gonna …" Riku started, his lip trembling. "Sora you can't leave me! I won't let you!" he cried, clutching Sora to his chest.

_Hold on to me, love,  
__You know I can't stay long.  
__All I wanted to say was I love you and I'm not afraid.  
__Can you hear me?  
__Can you feel me in your arms?_

"I don't think I have a choice … Please, don't cry for me. I'm happy. I was finally able to help you, for once. I was able to protect you like you protect me. Uhhh …" Sora moaned as another bolt of pain shot through his body.

"No! I won't let you leave me! I'll … I'll follow after you! I won't let you die alone! Please, Sora, don't go!" Riku whimpered into Sora's neck.

"No … don't commit suicide. I would never be able to forgive myself if you did. I want you to live. For the world. For me. Survive so that no one will forget me. Please, Riku, stop crying. The look on your face is hurting me more than the spell ever could," Sora murmured, wrapping his arms around the older boy's neck.

_Holding my last breath,  
__Safe inside myself,  
__Are all my thoughts of you.  
__Sweet raptured light,  
__It ends here tonight._

"But I don't want you to leave me. I can't survive without my muse, my other half – you!" Riku sobbed. "I don't want to be alone! I don't want to be by myself anymore! Without you I'll die!"

"Don't be ridiculous. You won't die, Riku."

"Yes I will! I hated my life before I met you! I hated the feeling of always being alone! You're the only one who understands me! I need you!"

"Please, stop. You're making my heart hurt."

"Sora, I can't! I don't want to live without you! I can't!"

_I'll miss the winter,  
__A world of fragile things,  
__Look for me in the white forest,  
__Hiding in a hollow tree (come find me).  
__I know you hear me,  
__I can taste it in your tears._

"Riku … I don't think I have much longer in this world. I just want you to know … I'm not afraid. I died protecting you. That's all I want. I can't think of any better way to go than protecting the oneI love the most. So I want you to paint, draw, be an artist … _live,_" Sora said as he winced, his words laced with pain.

"Sora … Sora, don't talk like that! You're gonna live! You have to!" Riku cried, tears the falling faster now.

_Holding my last breath,  
__Safe inside myself,  
__Are all my thoughts of you.  
__Sweet raptured light,  
It ends here tonight._

"Riku, my love, I'll always be in your heart. I'll live on as long as you never forget me. I love you, Riku," Sora whispered as he slowly fell into the darkness.

"NO!" Riku screamed, clenching his eyes shut as the tears fell harder and harder.

_Closing your eyes to disappear,  
__You pray your dreams will leave you here,  
__But still you wake and know the truth,  
__No one's there._

"Riku … before I go … is there one last thing you can do for me?" Sora asked, smiling gently at the older boy.

"Anything," Riku sobbed.

"Kiss me, please."

"Of course," Riku said, bringing his lips to the younger boy's.

_Say goodnight,  
__Don't be afraid,  
Calling me, calling me, as you fade to black._

Riku savored the taste of the brunette's lips, fearing that this would be last time he would ever be able to kiss his young lover. Tears rolled down his face, mixing themselves with the kiss, the salty taste strange in their mouths.

A crash echoed around the plateau, and silently, it started to rain. But neither one cared. Riku only gripped tighter as Sora's hand slowly stroked his back, his shirt getting wetter and wetter as the rain came down.

As their kiss prolonged, Sora started to slip away. His soft, creamy skin became cold and numb, as did his soft, rose petal lips. His hand ceased its soft caresses and it slowly slipped to the frozen, wet ground. In shock, Riku slowly opened his aqua eyes and met Sora's sapphire, ocean blue eyes as they slowly started to fade.

Trembling, Riku lifted himself from Sora, holding him closely in his arms. "Sora? Sp-speak to me!" he called as the rain pounded harder and harder.

"Riku, don't forget me," he murmured.

"Never, my love. I'll remember you always," Riku replied as his tears silently carried on.

"Good," the brunette replied, a soft, sad smile on his lips.

"Do you really have to go?"

"Yes," Sora replied, as his chest started to glow with a soft, entrancing light.

"I love you," Riku said as he hugged the boy and buried his face in his chest as he cried.

_Holding my last breath,  
__Safe inside myself,  
__Are all my thoughts of you.  
__Sweet raptured light,  
It ends here tonight._

"I love you, too, Riku," Sora whispered, as his eyes closed, and he tenderly drifted away, the beautiful glow fading, as everything slowly became darkand the sky continued to cry crystalline tears from the heavens.

_**Owari**_

End of Part one.

* * *

**Author's Note:  
**Well, that's the end. No more. Fini. I will add an epilogue after this, but this is more so that I can answer questions and so you guys know what's next. Now is the time to ask questions. I will answer all of them in the epilogue. By the way, I am looking for 4, maybe five people to put in my bridge story. Email me if you want the part, or leave me a review. There are a couple requirements, so I'll either tell you in an email, or I'll tell you in the epilgue. Which ever works for you. Ja ne. 


	12. Epilogue: Acceptance and Letting Go

_**Silver Haired Savior **_

**Epilogue: Acceptance and Letting Go **

_Finished: 12/20/05 _

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Kingdom Hearts or Avril Lavigne or her songs ... if you sue all you'll get is some pocket lint ... and you don't want pocket lint ... do you?

**Author's Note:  
**Here it is, the long awaited epilogue (although I doubt a lot of you actually cared). Angsty, I should warn you. I still need two more people for it ... If you want to, sign up. All you have to do is give me a description of yourself, and what you want your name to be ... personality would also help; otherwise I will make one up unless I know you somewhat.Gomen if any of the characters are OOC! Enjoy! And leave me a holiday present; review!

* * *

_I hope to sleep,  
and never awaken.  
For nothing left in this world,  
can replace what you have taken. _

Night time had over taken him, leaving the islands covered like a sheet of glittering darkness. A silver haired boy gazed upon the city, slumping a little in the same position he had been in for hours. Riku's black suit, only a few hours ago neat and clean, now hung rumpled and dirty on his lithe, muscular form. He was perched atop the large out looking hill that jutted out over the city.

Behind him lay the bushes where he had first met his young lover so long ago, it felt like it had been an eternity since they had been there. Yet, he remembered it almost perfectly. He had been looking for inspiration in his lonely world, a sketch book and pencil in his hand when fate decided to play its cruel cards, yet nothing about the islands had changed at all since then. School would still be starting in anew of weeks, the forest was as green as ever, flowers still bloomed, and the stars still shone as brightly overhead as they had before he had left. Apparently, time does not stop for those who are gone.

**_Na na  
Na na na na na na _**

_**I miss you  
I miss you so bad  
I don't forget you  
Oh it's so sad **_

_**I hope you can hear me  
I remember it clearly **_

The silver haired boy looked up at the shimmering, beautiful stars, and with his tear stained aquamarine eyes, scowled. How could those stars look so happy when his lover was dead? His face, once sallow and contorted in anguish was blank as he returned his attention back to the city lights.

People were coming home from work, after working hard all day to scrape out a living; children staying up late, enjoying the last days of the summer as the fall loomed closer and closer, bringing with it the threat of school and dreaded homework; and families gathered together, to spend some quality time eating dinner, watching a movie, or perhaps playing a game together … for the inhabitants of the Destiny Islands, it was life as usual, reminding the silver haired boy that life moves on, and stops for no man, woman, or child. And especially not for Riku Renvulle.

Growing up in a life of luxury had spoiled him, and he had never tasted this kind of agony of not getting everything that he wanted. His life had been thrown into disarray, all by one person. And he would gladly do it again, and again, face this pain and torture if only it could bring an angel back from the dead. Except … he knew he couldn't. He hadn't even felt this depressed when his parents had died. Well, it was only natural. He was never that close to his parents anyways. Sure, he loved them, but not as much as he had loved Sora.

Riku leaned back on the mist sodden ground, wrinkling and dampening his already ruined dress clothes even more. He moved his leg to make it more comfortable from where it had fallen asleep from constant misuse by sitting in the same position for hours on end, not bothering to move. The silver haired boy had numerous bandages all over his body, some hastily bound in an attempt to keep him from losing too much blood, and he had not bothered to change them or fix them.

The boy had just come from the funeral. It was a small gathering, only people who were close to Sora were allowed to come to it. Of course, Leon, Cloud, Aerith, and Yuffie were there, but there were others. Like Kairi, Auron, Selphie, Tidus, Wakka, and Lulu as well, even though most of them didn't know Sora as well as the others had. All throughout the stern sermon, he didn't – wouldn't – cry. He sat glumly throughout the all of the speeches, and had to choke back his tears when it was his turn to speak. And no matter what he did, he just couldn't cry afterwards. It wasn't like he didn't want to – he had plenty of pain inside of him that he just wanted to wash away with his uncontrollable, flowing tears. He just … couldn't. He had used all of them up.

**_The day you slipped away  
Was the day I found  
It won't be the same  
Ohhhh _**

The silver haired boy simply couldn't believe it. His Sora, his light, was actually gone, and was not ever going to come back. No more laughing, no more kisses, no more hugs, no more having the brunette cling on to him when he had had a bad nightmare. No more adorable pouts, no more feeling his velvety skin against his own, no more of that pure, innocent scent that only seemed to belong to the easy-going brunette. No more … anything. Riku simply … couldn't believe it.

After Riku had learned that the out-looking hill was for sale, Riku had immediately bought it. Otherwise, they were going to flatten it and turn it into a shopping mall, killing the natural beauty of the place. The silver haired boy would not allow it. And what a place it was. The hill had a spacious amount of land, with a steep climb up to the top where a bunch of trees surrounded a flat, open space hidden just beyond them. There was a soft, bubbling creek that trickled all the way down the hill, hidden among the woods where people were unlikely to find the natural beauty, making it a calming place where it was not uncommon to find the wildlife searching for a drink. Wild roses grew all around, making it one of the silver haired boy's favorite places to be. There was an outlook hidden behind the bushes, past the trees and the creek, and that's where he was now. And behind him were the bushes where he had met his first – and what he planned to be his last – love of his life, even if he hadn't realized that when he had first met the hidden boy that smelled of ground coffee and chocolate.

He stared at the pale, emotionless moon as thoughts whirled around in his head. "The stars are endless. To them, what's one human life compared to billions of years of life? People come, and people go. That's the way of the world, and life," Riku told himself out loud. "I guess there's some things that not even love can conquer," he said with a bitter laugh. "It's funny how you can know someone for a month and suddenly they take over your life without you even realizing it," the teen mused to his self, not knowing that somebody else was listening to his ideas.

"Yeah, it is pretty amazing, how things like that can happen," a voice behind him said, and Riku looked up to see the ninja standing there, a concerned look on her face as she gazed at the younger boy. She had bandages all over her as well, and her arm was in a sling. She had recounted her story of what had happened to them all after they had gone their separate ways. She and Aerith had both won the battle, but they were so exhausted that they passed out soon afterwards. The same thing had happened to Leon and Cloud.

When they had all come to, they found themselves on the plateau, and saw Riku sitting there, clutching Sora's cold, lifeless body to his own trembling one, and burying his face in the brunette's unmoving chest, crying non-stop, his tears hot and burning his eyes and face. It had taken them nearly half an hour to get the older boy to just get up. And even then he wouldn't let the brunette go, holding him like he was a porcelain doll that would break if he wasn't careful.

**_Na na  
Na na na na na _**

_**I didn't get around to kiss you  
Goodbye on the hand  
I wish that could see you again  
I know that I can't **_

_**I hope you can hear me  
I remember it clearly **_

"I just … can't believe he's gone," Riku murmured as he realized that he wasn't alone, sliding over to give the older girl some room.

"You know, you have to go home sometime, Riku," she told the boy as she sat down and patted him softly on the boy's hunched back, careful of the boy's wounds. "You can't keep staying at Leon's and Cloud's house forever," she reminded him. For the past week he had been staying at the two men's house, not daring to go back to his own. He was avoiding it like the plague. Heck, he even went as far as to send Leon to his house to get his suit, just so he wouldn't have to visit. It just held too many painful memories for him. Memories of his little angel …

"……… I should have protected him better. It's my fault that he's dead."

"Riku, not that again! There's nothing you could have done differently! He gave up his life to save you! He wouldn't want you like this! He wouldn't have wanted you to blame yourself for what happened! Sora wouldn't have wanted you to be here every night since you came back, mourning for him… Sora wouldn't have wanted it …" Yuffie scolded with a glare, tears coming to her eyes as she struggled to hold them back.

"I just feel so bad all the time. It's my fault! No matter what I do, I can't help the way that I feel! It hurts so much … I'm gonna lose it! Absolutely everything reminds me of him! I can't do anything without thinking of him! It's slowly killing me … Yuffie, if this keeps up I think I'm going to go insane."

"Riku, the first step is actually accepting it. I know it's not easy. It isn't for anyone that knew him. He was one of the kindest, sweetest boys around … it's really hard to just let go of people like that. It's like you expect him to just walk in the room and say, 'Hey, I'm back, sorry for making you worry,' even though you know, somewhere in your mind, that he won't."

"But … the pain won't go away. I just can't let him go. No matter what I try … I just can't. I don't want to."

"Well, they say that artists think and feel differently than us regular people. You know, you never did tell us what happened up there between you … and him. We weren't going to push it, seeing as it brought you so much pain just to think about it … but maybe telling can be a good thing."

**_The day you slipped away  
Was the day I found  
It won't be the same  
Ohhhh _**

"Well, when I got up there, he had already started the spell," Riku began, quivering as he recalled the memories. "Then … we fought. But he was still too strong. He had us blasted up against the far wall … and he shot a spell at me … but Sora – he – he protected me … and he … he …… died because he did," Riku recounted, sobbing out the last part as the tears that he had thought had vanished reappeared with a vengeance. By telling her what happened, it was like he had somehow accepted it with all of his heart. And now … he had lost all hope that people could be brought back from dead. "Sora's dead! But I'm still here! I'm still here … and it hurts so much," Those words echoed around the hill, bringing an even more realistic spin on the truth than he would have liked to have ever heard in an entire lifetime. _Sora's dead_ …

"So he used a spell on him, huh?" she commented, pulling the boy into a soft hug, letting him cry into her shoulder. She made a mental note to ask what the spell was later after some time had passed. Right now, it would just be too much strain on the suffering boy. "Shhh …" she whispered with gentle pats, until he had finally calmed down enough. "I think it's time that we head back. I'm sure everyone is waiting for you," she said, and with a nod, he stood up, swiping a hand past his face, walking back past the bushes towards the field.

It was completely silent. The wild roses bloomed every where, creating a small symphony of reds, silvers, whites, and pinks that put even rainbows to shame with its delicate beauty and soft scent. Somewhere in the far off regions of the forests, a mockingbird started to sing a woeful song, and the trees swayed gently to meet the soft tune of the bird as the wind softly picked up. Amidst all of the roses stood a somber, gray tombstone, recently churned earth all around it, marking where the boy's body was. He felt his throat constrict and his heart tear at the thought of the boy he loved buried underneath the cold, hard ground. He knelt down and read the inscription in the stone:

**Here lies Sora Malcite,  
Devoted lover,  
Dedicated friend,  
Loving prince. **

"This is where we first met. It's beautiful, isn't it, Sora? Roses … I know you love roses. I have to go now … but I'll be back. I promise, Sora, I won't ever forget about you," he said to the marker where his departed lover lay, and started walking through the rose covered fields and down the hills, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. Waiting at the bottom was Yuffie, car keys in hand as she waited patiently for the boy.

"Ready?" she asked.

With one last glance up the hill, he said, "Yeah." Together they got in the car, and started it, and as they drove off, Riku sat staring out the window in complete silence, until, finally making a decision, he dared to break the somber silence. "Hey, Yuffie?"

"What?"

"I think I … I want to move there. So I can be close to Sora. Always."

"Don't be silly. There's no house."

"I'll pitch a tent," he replied simply.

"Now you're being ridiculous. We can look into building a house there," she said.

"… Yuffie, I think I'm ready … to go back again. You know … to the apartment," he said, staring out the window.

"Riku … are you sure? It's been a pretty hectic day …"

"I'm sure. I mean, I'll have to face it sometime, right?"

"…"

"I'll be fine," he said as she pulled up in front of the apartment building. "I'll … see you tomorrow," he said, and entered the building. He slowly made his way to the stairs and trudged his way up. He entered the small apartment that he called his, and saw that everything was exactly how he had left it. Minus a cute, overactive brunette, that is.

**_I've had my wake up  
Won't you wake up  
I keep asking why  
I can't take it  
It wasn't fake it  
It happened you passed by _**

With a sigh he shut the door behind him, and closed with a dull thud. He walked towards his bed room and gently opened the door. There was the large, empty bed that held so many painful memories for the boy. Feelings of loneliness, despair, and lost hope. It was also the place where he had first claimed Sora and made him his lover.

Dejectedly, he made his way over and sat down on the old mattress. The sheets lay tangled and in disarray from their first time together, bedraggled across the mattress. He ran a trembling hand over them before gently laying down in the soft mass of sheets and pillows. It still had the boy's intoxicating scent, and he smelled it hungrily, basking in the sweet smell. After awhile, he sat up and went over to the closet and grabbed some fresh clothes. He slowly stripped off his dirty, disheveled clothes and put on some light blue boxers and a white tank top. Leaving his suit in a heap on the ground, he went back to the bed.

"Sora, I miss you so much …" he murmured, as he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but sleep just wouldn't claim him. He sat up with a yet another sigh, and moved to stand up, but he was reluctant to leave the special scent, so he grabbed the blanket and took it with him.

He quietly went out into the large, lonely living room. There, he found his bags from Traverse Town. They had arrived yesterday. Grimacing, he slowly unzipped the bags, and pulled out his sketchbook. Gently flipping through the pages, he relived every memory associated with each drawing, almost all of them sketches of his precious Sora.

**_Now you're gone  
Now you're gone  
There you go  
There you go  
Somewhere I can't bring you back  
Now you're gone  
Now you're gone  
There you go  
There you go  
Somewhere you're not coming back _**

"You're gone, and all I have are these sketches of you … huh? What's this?" he asked, as a thin package fell onto his lap. Stuck on it was a post-it note, in what looked like Kairi's handwriting, although he couldn't tell, having only seen it once before when they were at the hospital.

_Dear Riku,  
I know he would have wanted you to have this. As much as I love it, you need it more. Take care of it, as I have over the years. _

Riku opened the package, and inside was a silver locket, engraved with the sign of the Hallow Bastion crest on the front, and on the back was a the insignia of a paupu fruit, the sign of the Destiny Island craftsperson who made it. He gave a grim smile, and opened it. Inside was a picture of Sora, who looked to be either 12 or 13 in the picture, and he was smiling, his blue eyes alight with delight. That familiar goofy smile graced his lips, and he looked truly…

"Beautiful," Riku said out loud as he studied the picture. Undoing the clasp, he placed around his neck and re-latched it. It went down past his shirt and right above his heart, where he felt the cold metal settle reassuringly. He walked over to the answering machine and looked at the flashing red light. He had nearly 30 new messages. He pressed the play button, and listened from the oldest one recorded.

He got through about half of them before he suddenly felt a wave of tiredness over take him. Turning off the machine, he shuffled slowly into the bedroom, carrying the blanket with him. He lay down in Sora's spot, one of the few places that still smelled like him, and started to drift off to sleep.

**_The day you slipped away  
Was the day I found  
It won't be the same  
No _**

_**The day you slipped away  
Was the day I found  
It won't be the same  
Ohhhhh … **_

On that silent, fateful, lonely night, he dreamt only of Sora and the times they had shared together. "Sora … I love you …

**_Na na  
Na na na na na na _**

…and goodbye."

_**I miss you **_

_**

* * *

**_

Happy Holidays and have a Happy New Year!

**Edit 5/5/06:** The sequel, **For an Angel to Cry is now posted**. Enjoy.


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